Are You Eating Enough? How to Talk to Seniors about Nutrition

GE Privacy

Introduction: protecting your privacy, enhancing your online experience

When it comes to data privacy, protecting your personal information is most important. We feel it’s also important to give you, your colleagues, and your family members a voice in the development of this web site and your overall experience with it. To do this, we need to collect certain types of information to help us evaluate how the HealthAhead web site is being used, so we can continually improve your experience and the content we offer to you. By tracking overall usage patterns, providing an easy channel for your feedback, and allowing you to tell us what content is most useful to you, we can refine our offerings and provide more of the content you personally find valuable.

Overall, we are committed to giving you the option to participate – or not participate – in a manner that’s right for you. Read more for how we do this.

Information we collect and how we use it

Identifiable Information Collecting

All methods of identifying yourself to GE will be optional and opt-in, may be updated by you at any time, and will not be required for all areas of the web site.

We will not collect any identifiable user information from the areas of the HealthAhead web site which do not require SSO (Single Sign On), unique User ID (Identification), and/or Password.

There are areas of the web site that require you to identify yourself to us (authenticate). This allows you to access certain parts of the web site that may otherwise be restricted for privacy and security purposes.

There are also areas that may provide the option to create a personalized profile. The information you provide is optional and what you tell us will determine the level of personalization you will experience.

Access to identifiable information is restricted to internal, administrative personnel and solely for purposes of providing web site support, awarding prizes and other recognition, and customizing the web site content and overall functionality for the user. However, we will also allow you to change your mind and opt-out of sharing personal information with us at any time.

Non-Identifiable Information Collecting

When you visit the HealthAhead web site, we track, collect and report on certain aggregate and non- identifiable information. In other words, the information we collect does not relate to a single identifiable visitor. It tells us things such as how many users visited our web site and what pages they viewed.

This non-identifiable data will be collected and stored in a secure database in the U.S., and may be viewed by GE. We will analyze this information to refine our web site to better reflect user preferences, such as the type of content users are searching for most, and to improve the usability of the web site and the user’s web site experience. The information may also be used for purposes of promoting the web site. The data will not be used for medical analysis or other medical purposes.

Cookies

Like many web sites, the HealthAhead web site uses browser cookies – bits of text placed on your computer’s hard drive when you visit. We use them to tell us things like whether you’ve visited us before, and to help us identify features in which you may have the greatest interest. We also use cookies to track country and language selection.

In the future, we may use cookies to track additional details, such as city and state.

We keep this information unless you don’t wish GE to capture this and choose to delete your cookie history. If you wish to stop accepting new browser cookies, get notification when you receive a new cookie, or disable existing cookies, the “help” portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how. Keep in mind, without browser cookies, you may not be able to take full advantage of all our web site features or have your preferences saved for future visits.

We also use Flash cookies on the web site to enhance your online experience. These are similar to browser cookies, but they store data more complex than simple text. Flash cookies, by themselves, cannot do anything to or with the data on your computer. In addition, Flash cookies cannot access or remember your email address or other personal information unless you provide the information on this web site.

Web Beacons

Certain pages on our web site contain “web beacons” (also known as Internet tags, pixel tags and clear GIFs). These web beacons obtain information such as the time the page was viewed, the type of browser used to view the page, and the information in cookies. Web beacon data does not include IP address. The web beacon data is stored at Google Analytics, a third party (see ‘Tracking and Reporting’ for more information on this technology).

Tracking and Reporting

Specifically we will track, collect and report on the following data using software from Google Analytics. For more information about Google Analytics, including information about how to opt out of these technologies, go to www.google-analytics.com

Our primary metrics include: Poll response rate, repeat visits, number of times content is shared, and visits by country.

The sub-metrics include:

Most Popular Content Types, Most Popular Content Topics, User Pathing, Exit Links, Bounce Rate, Traffic by Source (region), Time on Web site, Visit Time of Day, Unique Views/Page Views, Thumps Up/Down, Most Shared Content, Number of Times Content is Rated, Most Rated Content by Type, Language Selection.

We will also be tracking how much communicators, web site leaders and other HealthAhead operations teams are leveraging the web site to support and align their business, regional and web site specific efforts. Some of these metrics may be tracked using existing support central tools.

These metrics may include:

Number of Content Submissions by Region, Number of non-corporate Driven Promotions by RCs, Number of Promotional Downloads by Region, Support Central Survey

Feedback Form

Your feedback is important to the web site’s ongoing development, so we’d love to hear your opinions and ideas. To contact us, please use this Feedback form. We will not be able to respond directly, but all feedback will be reviewed, evaluated, and factored into future content decisions. Please note: this form is monitored by IT support staff only. Please do not submit any personal or medical information. And thank you in advance!

Poll and Quiz Responses

On the web site, we will conduct polls and quizzes to better understand user activities, attitudes, interests and knowledge across multiple health topics. These polls may also help us serve you better by asking questions that relate to the usefulness of our web site. We will not capture any personally identifiable information through the collection of poll response data. As part of these polls and quizzes, we will capture responses sorted by country. In the future, we may capture responses sorted by additional anonymous demographics such as language, affiliated GE business, work web site location, gender, etc.

Sharing Content with Family and Friends

We want you to share the web site’s content with important people in your life, so most articles, videos and slideshows can be emailed. To do so, we will ask you to provide your name and the recipient’s email address. We simply use this information to send the content as you request. At this time, we do not capture or store your, or the recipient’s, email address. Please see below to learn how we track and report on email sharing activity.

Please also review GE’s Social Media Guidelines

How we protect information

GE maintains administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized disclosure, use, alteration or destruction of any information you provide on this web site. We use secure socket layer (SSL) technology to help keep the information you provide on this web site secure. See ‘Information We Share’ and ‘Information We Transfer’ for additional details.

Information we share

We do not sell or otherwise disclose personal information about our visitors, except as described here. We may share information provided by visitors with service providers we have retained to perform services on our behalf. These service providers are contractually restricted from using or disclosing the information, except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or comply with legal requirements. In addition, we may disclose information about you if we are required to do so by law or legal process; to law enforcement authorities or other government officials; or when we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity.

Information we transfer

We may transfer the information we collect on this web site to other countries where we do business, but only for the purposes described above. When we transfer your information to other countries, we will protect that information as described here unless otherwise required by applicable laws.

Links to other web sites

We provide links to other web sites for your convenience and information. These web sites may have their own privacy statements in place, which we recommend you review if you visit any linked web sites. We are not responsible for the content of linked web sites or any use of the web sites.

Children’s privacy

This web site is not directed to children under the age of thirteen and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of thirteen on the web site. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received personal information from a visitor under the age of thirteen, we will delete the information from our records.

Some links on this web site may take web site visitors to web sites that are directed to children. These web sites have their own privacy notices that address children’s privacy. We encourage you to read these privacy notices if you visit any linked web sites directed to children.

Updates to our privacy & data policy

This Privacy & Data Policy may be updated periodically and without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our online information practices. We will post a notice on this web site to notify you of any significant changes to our Privacy & Data Policy, and indicate at the top of this policy when it was most recently updated.

How to contact us

If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy & Data Policy, or if you would like us to update information we have about you or your preferences, please contact us by visiting our Feedback Form.

Are You Eating Enough? How to Talk to Seniors about Nutrition

When you were a child, the adults in your life—whether parents, grandparents, or other caregivers—likely took the time to make sure you were getting enough to eat. But now that you are an adult, the tables may have turned.

Do you know if your elderly loved ones are getting their nutritional needs met? Elderly people may have trouble preparing their own meals, or even forget to eat altogether. It’s important to learn to recognize the signs that your older family members and friends may not be eating enough, and understand what steps you can take to help.

Seniors’ Nutritional Needs
As we get older, our nutritional needs change. To reflect these shifts, Tufts University researchers designed modified nutritional guidelines to correspond with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recommendations. The “MyPlate for Older Adults” corresponds to the USDA’s “MyPlate,” the federal government’s new primary food group symbol. MyPlate for Older Adults provides information about the specific nutritional needs of seniors to ensure they are eating enough of the right kinds of foods and staying hydrated.

Half of the plate is made up of fruits and vegetables, in a variety of colors, to emphasize the importance of eating multiple servings of produce with dark-colored skin, such as tomatoes, peaches, or berries. The plate also shows images of low-sodium, low-sugar canned fruits and veggies, since those forms are often easier for seniors to prepare.

To help you get a better picture, some of the specific foods illustrated on the MyPlate for Older Adults include:

Bright colored vegetables (like broccoli and carrots) and deep colored fruit (like melon and berries)
Whole grains such as brown rice, cereals, and whole wheat bread
Non-fat and low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt
Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, and beans
Spices in place of salt
Liquids, including water, fat-free milk, and orange juice
Liquid vegetable oils that are low in saturated fats

The MyPlate for Older Adults also places a new focus on exercise, showing images of older people walking, doing resistance training, and performing light household chores. Government statistics have shown that elderly obesity rates are rising. In order to help seniors maintain a healthy weight, MyPlate for Older Adults encourages seniors to engage in regular physical activity.

What You Can Do to Help
Sensory and structural changes due to aging—such as changes in smell, taste, or metabolism—can lead older adults to be less interested in food. To help your loved ones meet their nutritional needs, you have a variety of options:

According to Colorado State University, loss of visual acuteness can lead to fear of cooking, using a stove, or grocery shopping. Offer to help seniors with shopping and food preparation, keeping in mind guidelines from the modified food pyramid.
Changes in smell and taste can make food less appetizing. Encourage older loved ones to experiment with healthy new food flavors. Low-sodium options include seasonings prepared with herbs, like dill or curry, as well as lemon juice.
Many older adults experience a decline in thirst as they age. This can be dangerous, since it can lead to dehydration. To help ensure that seniors stay properly hydrated, remind your loved ones to drink a mix of fluids every day. Although water is the most hydrating fluid, juice, milk and other beverages provide hydration too.
Food texture can also make a difference, particularly to people with dentures. Assist loved ones with the timing of preparing foods like vegetables to avoid overcooking them. Instead, emphasize the importance of fresh, flavorful foods with a variety of interesting textures. This will help your older family and friends to avoid the boredom of a drab diet.

Put It In Practice: Ensure Your Elder Loved Ones Have A Healthy Diet
It can get harder to eat right as you get older. Seniors can benefit from your guidance in making sure they are eating well-rounded, healthy meals. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that those over age 50 make sure that half of the grains they eat are whole grains, and that they eat many types and colors of fruits and vegetables. They should also eat only small amounts of saturated fats, and eat seafood two times per week. Pay attention to the nutritional needs of your elderly loved ones to help ensure that they maintain a healthy diet.