How to Improve Your Parent’s Nutrition

As a caregiver, you may spend a good portion of your time making sure your elderly parent eats well. Many caregivers are responsible for planning meals, going grocery shopping, making snacks, and cooking meals. That’s a lot of work, and to complicate matters even more, there are several factors that can make it harder for seniors to get enough nutrition. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Older persons are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition.” Because March is National Nutrition Month, now is a good time to look at how well your parent is eating.

What Leads to Malnutrition in Seniors?

Malnutrition occur when a person does not get enough of the nutrients they need to keep their body healthy. For seniors, some of the things that can keep them from eating well are:

• Medical Conditions: Some medical conditions cause changes in appetite and make it difficult for seniors to eat. Restricted diets used to manage medical conditions can make eating unappealing. Dental problems can also affect the senior’s ability to eat.
• Medications: Some medications may affect appetite or cause nausea.
• Finances: Living on a fixed income can impact the kinds of foods seniors have access to. They may be struggling to meet their monthly obligations and pay for expensive medications, leaving them with little money left over for groceries. As a result, they may be purchasing whatever is cheapest, which may not be the most nutritious choice.
• Physical or Cognitive Limitations: Physical disabilities or cognitive problems may make it hard for seniors to shop or cook for themselves.
• Loneliness: Meals are often viewed as social opportunities, built around spending time with family and friends. For seniors who live alone, mealtimes can be a reminder of the people they have lost. As a result, they may lose interest in eating.

Tips for Improving Nutrition

There are several steps you can take to ensure your parent gets enough nutrition, such as:

• Keep healthy foods prepared for easy to grab snacks, such as slices or cubes of cheese, fresh vegetables, and fruit.
• Improve the tastes of bland foods by using herbs and spices to replace salt.
• Invite your parent to eat with you or visit them during mealtimes to share a meal or just chat.
• Increase their physical activity since this can improve their appetite.

Home care can help your parent to eat better, too. A home care provider can plan meals and drive your parent to the grocery store to shop for ingredients. Home care providers can also cook meals and prepare snacks. A home care provider can also encourage your parent to move more by involving them in activities and going for walks with them.

Sources

https://familydoctor.org/preventing-malnutrition-in-older-adults/

https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-eating-for-seniors

https://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/ageing/en/index1.html

If you are considering home care in Westerville, OH for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Lantern West Health today at 614-594-7474.