March is National Nutrition Month. It’s a great time to reevaluate what we eat and how we eat so that we’re not only enjoying our food but that the food we’re consuming is benefiting our body by making it stronger and more resilient. For seniors, what they eat is especially important because it can help them stay independent longer and enjoying life to its fullest.
Why Eating Well is So Important for Your Senior
Nutrition is important for everyone to be aware of and strive toward improving in their diet, but for your elderly loved one it’s more important than ever.
Seniors typically need fewer calories as they age due to a slowing metabolism as well as less activity. Those lower calorie counts mean that each calorie has more significance in their nutrition and should be aimed at fulfilling such much-needed nutrient goals to help your senior stay healthy and strong. She can still enjoy an occasional empty-calorie treat, but meals and the majority of her food should have the nutritional elements she needs like protein, nutrients, and essential vitamins.
If your loved one has a medical condition or health concern, talk to her doctor about which types of nutrients she should focus on including in her diet to provide her with the best nutritionally-dense meals.
Four Reasons Seniors Don’t Eat Well
Many factors may play into why your elderly loved one doesn’t always make the best food choices. Determining why your senior makes poor food choices is the first step in helping her make better choices in the future and improving her nutrition. Let’s look at four common reasons seniors struggle to eat well.
- Healthy food is expensive. Many seniors believe eating well costs too much and it can appear that way at a glance. Helping your senior learn how to shop smart and find the best deals is key to helping her with her food budget.
- It’s too much work to create a healthy meal. It can seem overwhelming for your senior to follow a recipe or try to prepare something new for her.
- She doesn’t have an appetite. Many seniors struggle to eat because they’re not hungry. In this case, packing in nutritional calories is especially important.
- She’s a picky eater. Some people just never explored a lot of food options in life so introducing them now can be difficult. Try one new food several times to help your loved one slowly grow her palate.
When Your Loved One Needs a Little Help with Meals
If your loved one is struggling to make wise food choices or has some physical or cognitive limitations that cause her to struggle to prepare healthy meals, a home care provider can help by stepping in and assisting during meal time. With a home care provider, they can assist from the beginning steps of purchasing the right foods at the market to preparing the meals to cleaning up afterward and storing the food properly. A home care provider can work with your loved one if her doctor has recommended specific dietary needs to guide her to food choices that fit within those doctor’s parameters.
If you’re able to be there to make sure your loved one is consistently eating delicious and nutritious meals, a home care provider will help you rest easier knowing she has someone there to support better eating habits.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Douglasville, GA, please contact the caring staff at Arose Home Care Services LLC today at (404) 720-5385
At Arose Home Care Services, LLC, we provide exceptional medical and non-medical home care for seniors and families in Carrollton, Marietta, Douglasville, Acworth, Fayetteville, Powder Springs, Hiram, Lithia Springs, Stone Mountain, Kennesaw, Atlanta, and the surrounding areas in Georgia.
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