Older adults often fail to maintain adequate nutrition. With advancing age, they may adopt a monotonous and nutritionally poor diet, while several factors can negatively affect eating habits. These factors vary from person to person and may include:

• Loneliness: eating is a social activity and may lose its importance when an older person is left alone.
• Physical disability: this may reduce or prevent the ability to shop for food, prepare meals, or eat independently.
• Poor dentition or edentulism.
• Medication use: certain medications may affect appetite, cause nausea, or lead to nutrient loss.
• Lack of knowledge or unwillingness regarding food preparation.
• Economic difficulties.
• Dysphagia.