Seniors : des outils pour que l’alimentation garde toute sa saveur

Article rédigé par l’équipe Senso5

A l’instar de tous les pays industrialisés, on constate en Suisse un vieillissement de la population. Si notre pays compte aujourd’hui plus de 18,7% de seniors, il en comptera plus de 25% en 2040 (Office fédéral de la statistique, 2019). En Suisse, la prévalence de la dénutrition de la personne âgée est de 5% à domicile pour les personnes entre 65 et 79 ans et de 10% pour les personnes de 80 ans et plus (Morisod, 2010).

L’enjeu du « bien vieillir » prend ainsi toute son importance. Conserver une bonne santé le plus longtemps possible est un enjeu majeur en santé publique. Pour ce faire, il est important d’assurer la qualité de vie nécessaire au maintien de l’autonomie des personnes âgées (Escalon & François, 2010).

Conscient de cette situation, en 2015, le canton du Valais a mis en place un programme d’action cantonal (PAC) de Promotion de la santé des seniors, dénommée la Plateforme 60+, sur mandat du Service de la Santé Publique.  Co-financé par Promotion Santé Suisse et Promotion santé Valais, le PAC comprend les modules thématiques alimentation et activité physique, santé psychique, préparation à la retraite ainsi que l’abus de substances chez les personnes âgées. Parmi les dimensions indispensables à l’autonomie et à la santé des seniors, l’alimentation joue un rôle essentiel. La Fondation Senso5[1] a été mandatée pour développer des outils dans le cadre du projet «  Alimentation, autonomie, qualité de vie chez les seniors ».

Plus l’âge avance, plus le risque augmente. Malheureusement, ce risque n’est que trop peu souvent pris en compte et lorsque le diagnostic de la dénutrition est posé, il est souvent difficile de retrouver un bon état nutritionnel. Les conséquences d’un état de dénutrition peuvent être multiples mais débutent bien souvent par un amaigrissement et un état de fatigue, un affaiblissement du système immunitaire avec apparition d’infections diverses (urinaires, pulmonaires) mais aussi une diminution de la masse musculaire qui va amener des vertiges et des pertes d’équilibres.

Outre la dénutrition, la déshydratation est une problématique tout aussi répandue dans la population des seniors. Ainsi, en Suisse, environ 20% de personnes âgées de plus de 75 ans boivent moins d’un litre de boisson par jour alors que les recommandations de la SSN (Société suisse de nutrition) prônent un apport d’un à deux litres de boissons par jour pour une personne âgée (Office fédéral de la statistique, 2015).

La dénutrition et la déshydratation sont deux pathologies dont les conséquences peuvent être sévères tant au niveau de la santé que de l’autonomie et de la qualité de vie. En effet, dans de telles situations, la personne doit généralement être hospitalisée et placée en EMS car le rétablissement est long et l’autonomie, diminuée. Agir au niveau de la prévention de ces pathologies est donc important pour favoriser le maintien à domicile le plus longtemps possible.

Ces deux constatations ont orienté la Fondation Senso5 vers la création d’outils destinés à limiter les risques de dénutrition et de déshydratation grâce à la collaboration des professionnels ainsi que des proches-aidants qui entourent les seniors.

Parmi ces outils, la brochure « Assiette & Baskets, plus de plaisir à la retraite », éditée en français et en allemand, présente les recommandations en terme d’alimentation et de mouvement ainsi que des astuces pratiques autour de l’organisation en cuisine et de la prévention des accidents domestiques. Avec des informations accessibles, non stigmatisantes et riches en illustrations, cette brochure est destinée aux seniors et à leurs proches mais aussi aux professionnels qui souhaitent approfondir leurs connaissances ou les utiliser dans leur profession.

Deux outils numériques sont en outre disponibles sur le site internet de la Fondation (www.senso5.ch). Le premier permet à tout un chacun de tester ses sens grâce à un questionnaire. Selon les réponses données, des conseils sont proposés pour limiter le déclin sensoriel ou trouver des alternatives à cette diminution. Le deuxième outil propose des astuces en cuisine ainsi que des recettes variées et équilibrées pour les seniors. Divers modules permettent d’adapter la recette en fonction du nombre de personnes (deux ou quatre) et du type de mesure des ingrédients (en grammage ou en ustensiles). Les recettes sont organisées par catégories (par exemple : rapides, mijotées, cuisiner les restes..) et de nouvelles viennent s’y ajouter régulièrement.

Finalement, la Fondation Senso5 a développé 15 capsules vidéos autour des problématiques alimentaires que peuvent rencontrer les seniors. Sous forme d’un dialogue entre un adulte et un senior dans la cuisine de ce dernier, ces capsules traitent de sujets divers comme l’hygiène en cuisine, l’appétit, les troubles digestifs ou encore le mouvement. Ces courtes séquences sont destinées au tout public en adoptant un ton léger mais professionnel grâce aux interventions d’experts pour expliciter/approfondir les différents thèmes.

Pour compléter ces outils et optimiser la prévention de la dénutrition grâce à la sensibilisation des professionnels, des formations sont dispensées au sein des centres médico-sociaux ainsi que dans différentes institutions (hautes écoles de santé, formation continues, foyers de jour). Un accent tout particulier est mis sur la formation de ces multiplicateurs car, avec leur vision du terrain et les difficultés qu’ils peuvent rencontrer au quotidien, ils sont de précieux informateurs et acteurs de prévention auprès des seniors. Grâce à une collaboration et une communication pluridisciplinaire, tous les acteurs sont mis à contribution avec pour objectif commun de préserver l’autonomie et la qualité de vie des seniors le plus longtemps possible.

La Fondation Senso5 souhaite, par le biais de ses actions, que les seniors puissent être acteurs de leur alimentation, autant du côté du choix du contenu de leur assiette que de la gestion quotidienne de cette alimentation (y compris la préparation). La Fondation Senso5 agit ainsi à différents niveaux en prenant en compte les besoins individuels par une analyse de la situation et des aménagements favorisant l’autonomie.

 

Achmann N, Burla L, Kohler D. (2015) La santé en Suisse – Le point sur les maladies chroniques Rapport national sur la santé 2015. Observatoire suisse de la santé, Neuchâtel

Escalon, H. & Beck, F. (2010). Perceptions, connaissances et comportements en matière d’alimentation: Les spécificités des seniors. Gérontologie et société, vol. 33 / 134(3), 13-29.

Morisod, J. (2011). Dénutrition de la personne âgée. Revue Médicale Suisse, 279(3), 209-210.

Office fédéral de la statistique. (2019). Effectif de population à la fin du 2e trimestre 2020

 

[1] La Fondation Senso5 est une fondation d’utilité publique, à but non lucratif qui a pour objectif principal d’agir auprès de différents publics afin de développer un rapport sain à l’alimentation.


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Seniors: tools for keeping food tasty

News item written by Senso5 team

As with all industrialised countries, Switzerland has an aging population. With more than 18.7% senior citizens today, in 2040 the proportion in our country will be more than 25% (Federal Statistics Office, 2019). In Switzerland, the malnutrition rate amongst older people is 5% for people at home aged between 65 and 79 years old, and 10% for people aged 80 and above (Morisod, 2010).

The challenge of “aging well” is therefore hugely important. Staying in good health for as long as possible is a major public health issue. To achieve this, it’s important to ensure the quality of life needed to maintain older people’s autonomy (Escalon & Francois, 2010).

In light of this situation, in 2015 the Swiss canton of Valais put in place a cantonal action plan (PAC) for the promotion of health for the elderly, called Plateform 60+, on behalf of the Public Health Service. Co-funded by Promotion Santé Suisse and Promotion Santé Valais, the PAC includes themed modules for seniors about diet and physical activity, mental health, preparing for retirement, and substance abuse. Amongst the essentials for older people’s autonomy and health, diet plays a critical role. The Senso5 Foundation [1] was tasked with developing tools for a project called “Diet, autonomy, quality of life for seniors”.

Malnutrition-related risks increase with age. Unfortunately, these risks are too rarely taken into account and once malnutrition has been diagnosed, it is often difficult to re-establish a good nutritional state. Malnutrition has multiple consequences, but often it starts with weight loss and fatigue, a weakening of the immune system and various infections (urinary, pulmonary), but also loss of muscle mass, which can lead to dizziness and loss of balance.

Alongside malnutrition, dehydration is an equally widespread problem amongst the elderly. In Switzerland about 20% of people aged over 75 years old drink less than a litre of fluids a day, whereas the Swiss Nutrition Society recommends one to two litres a day (Federal Office of Statistics, 2015).

Malnutrition and dehydration are two conditions that can have severe consequences for health as well as independence and quality of life. Generally, those affected have to be hospitalised and then placed in nursing homes, due to slow recovery and loss of autonomy. Action to prevent these conditions is therefore important to enable people to stay at home as long as possible.

This led Senso5 Foundation to create tools to reduce the risks of malnutrition and dehydration, thanks to collaboration with the relevant professionals and caregivers working with seniors.

These tools include a brochure called “Plates and Trainers, more pleasure in retirement”, published in French and German, which shares recommendations for diet and movement, as well as practical tips for organising the kitchen and preventing accidents in the home. With accessible, non-stigmatising information and lots of pictures, this brochure is aimed at seniors and those close to them, but also at professionals who want to build their knowledge or use it more in their work.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash
Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Two digital tools are also available on the Foundation’s website (www.senso5.ch). The first lets anyone test their senses using a questionnaire. It then provides tailored advice based on the answers given, to help limit sensory decline or find alternatives to this decline. The second tool offers tips for the kitchen and a range of healthy recipes for seniors. The recipes can be adapted for different numbers of people (two or four) and ways of measuring ingredients (based on grams or utensils). The recipes are organised into categories (for example, quick dishes, stews, cooking with leftovers….), and new recipes are added regularly.

Lastly, Senso5 Foundation has developed 15 educational videos about the food challenges that can affect seniors. Filmed as a dialogue between a senior in their own kitchen and another adult, the videos cover various topics, such as kitchen hygiene, appetite, digestion problems or mobility. These short segments are designed for the general public and use a light-hearted but professional tone by involving experts to explain or go further into the various themes.

To complete these tools and optimise malnutrition prevention by raising awareness among relevant professionals, training sessions are delivered in health centres and various other institutions (health-related universities, ongoing training, day centres). There is a particular focus on training these multipliers, as with their experience on the ground and the challenges they encounter on a daily basis, they are invaluable informers and actors of prevention among seniors. Thanks to collaboration and communication across disciplines, all stakeholders can contribute with the shared goal of maintaining the autonomy and quality of life of seniors as long as possible.

Through its work, Senso5 Foundation wants seniors to be actors of their own diets, as much in relation to the choice of what’s on their plate, as around the daily management of this food (including preparation). In this way Senso5 Foundation acts at different levels, taking into account individual needs, by analysing the situation and making arrangements to enable autonomy.

Achmann N, Burla L, Kohler D. (2015) La santé en Suisse – Le point sur les maladies chroniques Rapport national sur la santé 2015. Observatoire suisse de la santé, Neuchâtel

Escalon, H. & Beck, F. (2010). Perceptions, connaissances et comportements en matière d’alimentation: Les spécificités des seniors. Gérontologie et société, vol. 33 / 134(3), 13-29.

Morisod, J. (2011). Dénutrition de la personne âgée. Revue Médicale Suisse, 279(3), 209-210.

Office fédéral de la statistique. (2019). Effectif de population à la fin du 2e trimestre 2020

[1] Senso5 Foundation is a non-profit public interest foundation whose main objective is to work with a range of audiences to develop a healthy relationship with food.


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SAPERE on BBC Radio 4s The Food Programme, Monday 10th Februrary 2020

SAPERE got some great exposure on BBC Radio 4s The Food Programme. It starts at 14.00, but the whole programme is definitely worth a listen.

BBC radion©

What Is Making My Child Fat? Part 1: Finding Solutions to the UK’s Child Obesity Issue

Sheila Dillon asks the help of children and young people, teachers and academics, to understand how we might cut child obesity related health problems in the UK.

Source : BBCradio

 


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Happy New 2020!

On behalf of the Sapere International board, I would like to wish all of you in our growing Sapere network a happy and healthy 2020.
A number of new members have joined us during 2019, a year that also included a deeply interesting and well-arranged Sapere Symposia, hosted by the TastEd team in Cambridge in October. We do get stronger evidence that taste education/sensory training is climbing higher on the ”sustainable food habits agenda” in more and more countries.
If you have news or questions of interest for the network and the website www.sapere-association.com do not hesitate to post it here or send a mail to Caroline Reverdy at .
The next boardmeeting will be held in the beginning of March. If you as a member have a questions you think we should cover in this meeting pls send you suggestion by mail to me before February 14th.
Warm regards/ Stina Algotson

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Happy New 2020!

On behalf of the Sapere International board, I would like to wish all of you in our growing Sapere network a happy and healthy 2020.
A number of new members have joined us during 2019, a year that also included a deeply interesting and well-arranged Sapere Symposia, hosted by the TastEd team in Cambridge in October. We do get stronger evidence that taste education/sensory training is climbing higher on the ”sustainable food habits agenda” in more and more countries.
The next boardmeeting will be held in the beginning of March. If you as a member have a question you think we should cover in this meeting please send your suggestion by email to me before February 14th.
Warm regards/ Stina Algotson

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Taste Class using SAPERE method wins Excellence Award of 68th Yomiuri Education Prize, Japan

We are honored to announce we’ve been given the excellence prize in the field of early childhood education and care of the 68th Yomiuri Education Award 2019 for our activities.

読売教育賞楯

Our activities are called the promotion of health and communication through taste classes, with enhanced five senses focus for 2- and 3 year-old children.

The Yomiuri Education Award is one of the most distinguished awards in the field of education in Japan.

Even though our activities are still limited to seven nurseries and one kindergarten in Kyoto, we are very much encouraged by the award to promote taste classes using the SAPERE method in Japan in the future.

読売教育賞受賞(Somei, Kawaguchi)

Junichiro Somei, Yaeko Kawaguchi

Taste Class Association Japan

https://fivesenses-children.jp/


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TastEd hosts SAPERE Symposium, Cambridge, 24 & 25 October 2019

Thank you Bee Wilson from TastEd for this great summary.

We’ve never had two days quite like it.  We sniffed mint and we sipped seaweed broth from Japan. We tasted crunchy and quiet foods with headphones on. We heard about taste schools in Norway and the Netherlands and portion sizes in Singapore. We learned that every meal is an education. We listened to singing waiters. We ate celeriac which tasted like roast beef and roasted white chocolate which tasted like caramel. We made new friendships and celebrated old ones.

TastEd was honoured to host the eighth annual Sapere symposium in Jesus College Cambridge on 24th and 25th October. We were happy to welcome around fifty delegates from Sweden, Finland and Norway, from France and the Netherland, from Japan and Singapore, from the Czech Republic and Canada. Over the course of these few days, we heard from chefs and educators, from psychologists and policy experts all of whom were considering the role that sensory food education might play in changing a child’s diet for the better. Over the course of the two days, it became clear that Sapere is now a growing global network – and that this work is needed now more than ever.

Our theme for the two days was preference change and the role that preference can play in helping children to eat a healthier diet.  In Professor Corinna Hawkes’s superb keynote lecture on preference and policy, we heard that preference formation has been neglected by mainstream food policy. Professor Hawkes argued that taste education is an essential component in a complex suite of policies that should be used to address the causes of child obesity. By itself, it wouldn’t be enough. Policies are also needed to make healthy food more available, normal and affordable and to remove the obstacles to consuming healthy foods (such as junk food marketing). But a child who does not have a preference for healthy foods is unlikely to eat them, even when they are affordable and available.

On the first day, the talks were all in the Frankopan Hall at Jesus College. We heard from head teacher Jason O’Rourke about the work he is doing at Washingborough to change children’s palates. Another superb talk was from Dr Lucy Cooke who pioneered the ‘Tiny Tastes’ method to help children overcome pickiness about vegetables.  Dr Cooke emphasised the large body of evidence that positive exposure is the key to forming – and changing – a child’s relationship with vegetables. In the afternoon we heard about the same theme from a different angle with a talk on overcoming neophobia in Iceland from  Anna Sigrithur Olafsdottir whose research shows that for a child with neophobia, ten tastes of a new vegetable may not be enough – they may need to try something as many as 30 times before dislike turns to like.

Another of the talks on day one was from Alex Rushmer and Lawrence Butler of the restaurant Vanderlyle where we had eaten an extraordinary dinner on the first night. Just as Sapere teachers can help children uncover new preferences, so chefs can help customers discover new tastes. Alex and Lawrence spoke eloquently about how they decided to create a plant-based restaurant but one where it is not announced that the food is vegetarian.  They explained how hard it can be to recreate the umami flavours of meat using vegetables. Umami was a theme which came up again later in the day with a brilliant presentation from Junichiro Somei and Yaeko Kawaguchi on using umami dried fish as part of taste education in Japan.

The second day consisted of parallel sessions with teacher training workshops in one room and scientific papers in another. Dr Gurpinder Lalli spoke of the crucial social aspect of the school meal and the idea of commensality. Dr Elizabeth Kim of Singapore spoke about how strong peer influence can be in determining whether a child takes a large portion of junk foods.  Along the corridor, there were teacher training workshops from TastEd (on many colours of tomatoes and on exploring food hidden inside socks) and from teachers in Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Japan.

It was a wonderful two days and we want to thank all of the speakers and participants. We would also like to thank Jesus College and Julian Huppert for hosting us so magnificently and to Annabel Lee and Mark Tinkler for producing a beautiful programme.  We owe huge thanks to Susie Gates for meticulously managing the whole event. And huge thanks are due to our sponsors including the Talking Politics podcast. The other Trustees would like to offer special thanks to Abby Scott, who worked tirelessly on the event for many months and without whom none of it would have happened.

At TastEd, we are still in the early stages compared to almost all of the other countries represented at the Symposium.  We found it inspiring to see that in other countries, notably Finland, taste education is recognised as a basic aspect of a child’s education. It was a joyous two days of sharing ideas, conversation and good food. And we look back on the Symposium more determined than ever to bring Taste Education to as many children in the U.K. as we can.

Jason, Abby and Bee (TastEd founders)


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SAPERE training with Canopé-26 in Valence (F)

Take part in “Taste education for all children” training co-organised by Atelier Canopé 26 – Valence and SAPERE, with Annick VIDAL of Diffessence.
20th November and 4th December 2019, 2-5pm in Valence (France).

Formation Canopé

PROGRAMME

Objectives:
– get to know yourself better by discovering your own sensory profile;
– describe sensations and perceptions, developing vocabulary and verbal expression;
– discover and learn to accept differences between individuals, as a form of citizen education;
– learn about food diversity, enable your own choices, and help to fight against obesity and other health problems;
– learn about sustainable development;
– develop your critical thinking and curiosity about the world;
– multi-disciplinary learning.

Content:
– Objectives of taste education
– Theory of taste
– Introduction to the sessions
– Participation in full set of sessions, to experience and understand how to provide taste education, and understand the underlying principles
– Discussions about practices, questions, perceptions and sensations
– Practical aspects
– How-to booklet provided, covering session content and delivery, materials needed, extension ideas
– All materials provided
– Advice and support tailored to specific projects is possible, with ongoing support if needed.

This free training is designed for primary and secondary school teachers, specialised teachers, educators and youth workers across “MJC”/”MPT”/charities/cultural organisations, canteen staff…

All the activities in this training day can be adapted for children with special needs.

Information and registration


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SAPERE Taste Classes: MGEN Drôme magazine (Sept 2019)

Extract from MGEN Drôme magazine article, September 2019:

MGEN Drôme - septembre 2019
MGEN Drôme – September 2019

“SAPERE Taste Classes

SAPERE intervenes for free in schools, to provide a sensory education method with lessons built around learning about the five senses.

The goal of this taste education method is to build children’s knowledge and awareness of the pleasures of a varied and balanced diet,  to ensure the foundations for a balanced diet in the longer term and thus promote good health.

The method connects to various aspects of the school curriculum, and can easily be adapted for different age groups, from pre-school to middle school. In school settings, studies have shown that the method reduces children’s neophobia and develops their vocabulary and social interactions.

SAPERE Taste Classes offers free one-day training sessions (for small groups) about taste education, delivered using simple and fun learning activities, at the end of which participants receive a teaching kit.

For more information: www.saperelesclassesdugout.fr or  or (for the Drôme)”


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