Knock Knock knock. ” Delivery ! » Madeleine Paradis opens her door and sees her “milkmaid” appear. Since the end of February, she and her husband have received free cartons of ultrafiltered protein-rich, lactose-free milk. The couple who live at Demeures Sainte-Croix, a non-profit residence for independent seniors in Montreal, participate in the NutriAGES pilot project, which aims to counter malnutrition among seniors through the distribution of milk and multivitamins.
Madeleine Paradis and her husband now drink three small glasses of milk (100 ml each) every day, in addition to taking vitamin supplements. And it seems to be paying off. “I would say I have 25 to 50% more energy,” says Mme Paradis, who has just put her two-liter cartons of milk in the refrigerator. “I feel it because I don’t stop here. I have my husband to take care of. My household. We do a lot of volunteering downstairs: meal and leisure committees…”
This is the objective of the pilot project: to increase the protein and vitamin intake of seniors so that they maintain their muscle mass and maintain their autonomy.
The idea comes from nutritionist Louise Lambert-Lagacé, who teamed up with the AGES Foundation, a charitable organization that supports initiatives in social geriatrics. According to Mme Lambert-Lagacé, the nutritional situation of the elderly is “alarming”. “Those aged 71 and over are the least well nourished of the entire population,” she points out. “In Quebec, one in two seniors does not meet their protein needs. We know that when there is a chronic lack of protein, it affects muscle strength. »
Appetite decreases as we age. The energy or the desire to cook too, sometimes. However, according to scientific consensus, the protein needs of seniors are greater than that of younger adults. “Our muscle mass decreases over the years and our absorption capacity, the anabolism of proteins, is less effective. It takes more to do the same work. This is our big challenge,” explains M.me Lambert-Lagacé.
By participating in NutriAGES, seniors commit to consuming 300 ml of ultrafiltered milk every day for three months in addition to their usual diet. “That gives us an added 20 grams of protein,” specifies the nutritionist. “It was a number that had been found in research to make a difference. »
A project in four regions
In total, 150 elderly people will take part in this initiative supported by the National Directorate of Public Health of Quebec. For the moment, the pilot project has been launched in the Montreal borough of Saint-Laurent and in the Estrie region of Granit. It will soon be deployed in the Montreal borough of Lachine, Laval and Quebec City. Social geriatric organizations or meals on wheels will distribute milk and multivitamins, courtesy of Agropur and Haleon (Centrum).
Louise Savard, who lives at Demeures Sainte-Croix, agreed to participate in the pilot project. Since then, she says she has regained the taste of the milk of her youth, which she had lost due to a lactose allergy (the milk provided does not contain any). “Of course, many older people lack protein,” she thinks. “Here, I realize that at lunchtime, many people don’t take the soup and put it on a plate [de plastique] and bring it for supper. »
Same observation for Sophie Marcotte, social geriatrics navigator at CommunAînés Saint-Laurent, who distributes the milk as part of the pilot project (the “milkmaid”). ” Often, [des aînés] tell me: “I’m eating a little toast in the morning, afterwards I eat dinner and during the day, I will snack a little.” It’s like a meal and a half. » Cooking can seem complex for an isolated and weakened senior.
CommunAînés Saint-Laurent tries to make life easier for participants in the pilot project. It provides them with a “memory chart” reminding them of the time for daily rations of milk and multivitamins. Seniors can check a box when they have taken it.
According to the organization’s social geriatrics coordinator, Luis Segovia, very few seniors, among the forty people recruited, have given up so far. “What we also see is that it develops in them a curiosity to know “what else can I do” [avec mon lait] ? “, he says. A smoothie or oatmeal, for example. “It creates this desire to eat, and [ça montre que ce] is not that complicated. »
Once the pilot project is completed, Louise Lambert-Lagacé plans to survey seniors about their experience. “Has there been a change in the energy level? Did it disrupt their schedule? Did they like the product? » she cites as an example. Participants will also be weighed, as they were at the start of the initiative and mid-project. A health check will be carried out. “What we can’t do is measure muscle strength. But that’s what we want to do eventually,” comments the nutritionist, who specifies that she lacks resources.
Until then, Mme Lambert-Lagacé hopes that seniors will get “in the habit of eating a little more” and thinking about “protein.” And who knows, the project she is carrying out will perhaps one day be extended across Quebec.