Baxter is an 83-year-old female who has lived with her daughter for the past five years.

Mrs. Baxter is an 83-year-old female who has lived with her daughter for the past five years. She has a history of osteoarthritis, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and occasionally episodes of constipation. She is taking Celebrex for arthritis, Lipitor for hyperlipidemia, Capoten for hypertension, Paxil for depression, a daily multivitamin, and Milk of Magnesia and Dulcolax suppositories as needed for the constipation. Her eyesight is poor, but she is not blind. She ambulates well, but her mental capacity has been deteriorating significantly over the past 6 months and she has difficulty remembering one day from the next. Because of her conditions and the family’s inability to provide adequate attention at home, she was admitted to a long-term care facility one month ago.

Since admission to the long-term care facility, Mrs. Baxter has not been eating well and has lost 8 pounds. She often sleeps through her meals or refuses them, insisting she is not hungry. She has had a difficult transition to the facility, and often cries when her daughter visits, asking to be taken home. Other than her daughter’s occasional visits, she has had no other visitors.

Mrs. Baxter has dentures but refuses to wear them. She states that they have become too loose and will fall out if she tries to eat with them. She doesn’t eat any fruits or vegetables because she finds them hard to chew. She was placed on a soft diet, but stated that she was unable to eat many of the foods.

1.            What is the relationship between nutrition and osteoarthritis?