dalk, are designed to address these important issues. Diet and nutrition in later life Good nutrition is one of the major determinants of suc- cessful ageing and has impor- tant implication for quality of life for older people. Re- search suggests that older people who eat a healthy diet have a greater chance of in- creased or maintained levels of functional ability, reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes and an improved sense of The need for care work Principle dietary guidelines for healthy older people The demand for care workers in developed countries, such as Ireland, is going to increase in the coming decades due to the twin challenges of popula- tion ageing and declining numbers of informal family carers. Currently 11% of the total population in Ireland is aged over 65 years, but this is expected to increase to 25% by 2040 with the greatest in- crease in the very old—those aged over 80 years (Central Statistics Office, CSO 2008). At the same time, the avail- ability of informal carers par- ticularly adult children of dis- abled older people, may de- cline in future as more women continue to enter the labour market (Wittenburg et al., 2005). The contribution of foreign care workers will continue to play an important role in meet- ing the care needs of older people in Ireland. According to findings from a regional survey with care workers, mi- grants comprise approxi- mately 17 percent of the paid care workers for older people in County Louth (Carragher & O’Connor, 2010). The Netwell Centre in Dundalk Institute of Technology has moved to explore the experi- ences of migrant care workers and the supports they identify as necessary to enable them to care for older people from a different cultural background. A previous workshop with care workers highlighted the need for more support around the issues of diet and nutrition. This newsletter and the food preparation seminar sched- uled for 10 th November (7-9 pm) in O’Fiaich College, Dun- should be eaten daily. Fortified milk should be consumed by all older people unless otherwise recommended. At least eight cups/glasses of fluids should be drunk each day. The National Food Safety Authority of Ireland (2000) provide dietary guidelines for healthy ageing. Some of the principle dietary guidelines recommended for older peo- ple include: A wide variety of foods, including those with high nutrient density should be eaten regularly. An adequate intake of high fibre foods and fluids should be maintained. Meat, poultry and fish should be eaten regularly. Dairy foods such as cheese Special focus on migrant care workers Issue 2 November 2010 Simon Cooper/Organization, 2010 Special points of interest: Among the most common chronic diseases suffered by older people are those directly linked to inappropriate diet and unhealthy lifestyles. Inadequate intake of some important vitamins and minerals are liable to occur in older people who have more limited diets. Reduced vitamin and mineral intake can cause nutritional diseases or disorders such as anaemic and non-anaemic iron deficiency and osteomalacia due to Vitamin D deficiency (Food Safety Authority, 2000) For further information, contact: Lucia Carragher Tel: 042 9370400 Email: [email protected] To speak to our Cúltaca for older people, contact: Ann Marron Tel: 042 9370501 Email: [email protected] or Pat Kerins Tel: 0429370531 Email: [email protected]