How Much Does Diet Really Affect One’s Recovery Following a Hospital Stay?

March is National Nutrition Month and for some seniors who have been hospitalized, they may be advised by their doctors to change their diet. Diet and exercise can have a significant impact on one’s ability to recover from medical emergencies, surgeries, and more, especially when they have to spend any time in the hospital.
It can depend on many factors. A person’s recovery may not be dependent on their willingness or ability to exercise. It may not be dependent on their age, other health factors, or even the types of foods they consume. However, on the other side of the coin, a person’s diet can have a significant impact on their ability to recover from whatever ailment led them to be hospitalized in the first place. For example, a senior in their 70s who was hospitalized following a heart attack may be advised by their doctor to completely change their diet. They may be advised to avoid saturated fats, high cholesterol foods, and maybe even red meat or other particular proteins. If they don’t, they run the risk of having to return to the hospital, possibly for an even longer stretch of time, before long.
What is a hospital readmission? More and more people are starting to see this term bandied about in public: hospital readmission rates. However, few people really know what it means to be readmitted to the hospital. According to the federal government, if a person has to be readmitted within 30 days of their discharge, that constitutes a readmission. There are many causes of hospital readmissions, from complications, not following doctor’s instructions, not having the right support, not changing their diet, not getting adequate exercise, not resting as they were advised, and so much more. If a senior’s doctor has advised him or her to change their diet, they should heed that advice. A lot of people, unfortunately, reach a certain age and assume there’s no real benefit to making these changes in life. A person in their late 70s may feel as though the end of their life is fast approaching, so why bother trying to change now? In reality, they may be able to enjoy 10, 15, 20, or even more years in decent physical condition, if they only made these changes. Diet and nutrition, along with exercise, are the fundamental components of healthy living. If any senior has been hospitalized recently he or she should be advised to focus on their diet, especially if their doctor has said this is important.
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