TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is now a super-aged society, with 42% of the elderly suffering from insufficient caloric intake, according to Taipei Municipal Guandu Hospital Superintendent Chen Liang-kung (陳亮恭).
He revealed the findings during a legislative committee meeting on senior nutritional care. Public health experts attended the meeting alongside DPP lawmakers, per UDN.
Chen said many seniors also lack sufficient protein intake, affecting muscle synthesis and physical strength. Micronutrient deficiencies are also common, with up to 70% of elderly people failing to consume enough calcium, which is directly linked to osteoporosis.
He said eating habits among the elderly are influenced by factors including age, dental health, chronic illnesses, and psychological conditions such as depression and loneliness, all of which can reduce motivation to eat. The ability to cook and prepare individual meals also affects nutritional intake, he added.
Chen said there are currently few commercially available food products designed specifically for direct consumption by elderly people. While nutritional guidance exists, there is a lack of direct nutritional service solutions, and major gaps remain in care delivery after patients are discharged from hospitals.
DPP Legislator Lin Chu-yin (林楚茵) said nutrition directly affects muscle strength, mobility, cognitive function, and disability risk among seniors. However, she said significant gaps remain between hospital care, long-term care systems, and community or home care services.
She said nutritional assessments and interventions conducted in hospitals often fail to continue after elderly patients return home or transition into community care, per UDN.
Lin proposed establishing a standardized nutritional assessment mechanism, improving coordination between hospital and long-term care systems, and ensuring nutritionists are integrated into frontline long-term and community care services.
She said nutritional care is an issue that everyone may eventually face and that addressing current gaps would help improve the quality of life for future generations.
DPP Legislator Wang Cheng-hsu (王正旭) said elderly nutritional care should involve professional oversight, reimbursement mechanisms, and clearer product labeling standards to ensure elderly-specific nutritional services and products can be properly identified.
Hsu Chiu-mei (徐鉅美), section chief of the Health Ministry's Long-Term Care Division, said 4,026 seniors used nutritional care services last year, with only 18% preparing for such services as part of discharge programs.
