Senior Nutrition

Posted by: matthew

Samantha Alberts of All Valley Home Care in La Mesa, CA shares helpful advice about senior nutrition. Ensuring your senior loved one is receiving the proper nutrition is just one of the many benefits of senior home care services.

Good nutrition is important at all ages and in all stages of life, but many seniors are not properly nourished. Chronic illness, difficulty chewing or swallowing, a diminished sense of taste or smell and many medications can all adversely affect appetite and absorption of nutrients which can then lead to malnourishment. In addition to the many physical causes of malnourishment, emotional and social issues like depression and alcoholism or decreased interpersonal interaction and limited income can have a huge affect on how much and how often an individual eats.

As caregivers, family and friends of seniors, we can help to identify and alleviate malnutrition by paying attention to the signs and symptoms, being proactive and getting help if needed.

Signs of Poor Senior Nutrition

• Notice things like malaise, poor healing of wounds and easy bruising.
• Know the side affects of prescription medications, make sure these are taken correctly and make sure all caregivers are aware as well.
• If you are particularly concerned about an elderly person in your care and they are willing, you can request a doctor visit or consult with a nutritionist.

There are some very simple things we as senior caregivers can do to help increase nutrient intake and enjoyment of food.

Tips to Improve Senior Nutrition

• Try offering snacks in addition to regular meals, make foods interesting with spices and extracts, especially for people with diminished sense of taste or those on a sodium restricted diet.
• Cooking often simply takes too much effort, make things easier by preparing large batches of things like soups, casseroles and breads and freeze or refigerate single servings to be heated and eaten later.
• Make eating a social event; try to visit at mealtimes, offer to cook for or take him or her out to lunch.
• Offer to go grocery shopping together and try to choose nutrient dense foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy products.

Eating a well balanced diet and drinking lots of fluids can be particularly beneficial for seniors and can help with many common digestive complaints like gas and constipation.

• Consuming lots of fruits and vegetables and including whole grains and dried fruits and plenty of water all aid in regularity.
• Avoiding fried and fatty foods can help reduce heartburn and the need for antacids.
• Eating smaller, more frequent meals, chewing thoroughly and eating slowly can all help reduce excess gas.

Even people on a special diet or those with chewing or swallowing problems can get adequate nutrition with a little help.

• Cutting foods into small pieces and cooking hard crunchy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables can make eating easier for seniors with chewing problems.
• Drinking plenty of fluids or sucking on hard candies or lozenges can help to alleviate dryness of the mouth that may inhibit swallowing.
• Planning meals and snacks and keeping fresh, healthy food on hand can help those who have to follow particular diets, such as low sugar or low sodium.

You can always call us at 1-866-273-2995, visit our Senior In-Home Care Agency Directory, or fill out this simple online form for more assistance and information. Get Help Now!