Nutritional Needs of Seniors
While it may be difficult to ensure your loved one receives the nutrition they need unless you are right there to follow up, it is possible. Ample nutrition is an important, and sometimes overlooked, aspect of senior health. Because elderly people’s needs are slightly different from those of middle aged or young people, there is an increased need for certain nutrients.
For instance, seniors are more likely to suffer from B12 deficiency than younger adults, and they require a higher intake of calcium and Vitamin D to preserve bone health.
Conversely, developing or worsening health conditions may necessitate specific dietary restrictions. The progression of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and other conditions can be directly affected by dietary choices.
Another aspect of senior nutrition is the danger of malnutrition and dehydration. The truth is, many seniors who live alone become malnourished simply because they don’t feel like cooking, forget to eat, or have physical limitations which makes it difficult for them to prepare a healthy meal. Seniors also become dehydrated, as they often don’t remember to drink enough water or other liquids throughout the day. This can lead to worsening dementia and confusion, constipation, and kidney failure.
How We Can Help
When you reach out to our compassionate team at Home & Hearth Caregivers for elderly home assistance in Elmhurst, you will find our staff prepared to help with many tasks. For seniors who require assistance with planning and/or preparing their meals, reaching out to us may be the perfect solution.
No matter what type of specific food concerns you or your loved ones may have, we can assist. Does your mom have her own favorite recipes and just needs a bit of help lifting pans in and out of the oven or getting things off of high shelves? Perhaps your dad lives alone and has never quite gotten the hang of cooking anything (as he asks you seriously why he can’t live on beer and corn flakes).
No matter how minimal or how extensive your loved one’s needs, we can provide home senior care assistance at any level.
Meal Preparation
It can be difficult for seniors to transition from cooking for a family, and then maybe themselves and their significant other, to just cooking for one. Being alone can be extremely difficult for anyone that has not lived by themselves for most of their lives.
This can be especially difficult to deal with at mealtime. So it’s often easier to grab a snack, or many snacks, and never really fix a healthy meal. Changes in the ability to taste and smell also make food preparation less appealing – which can quickly spiral into a bad situation.
Sometimes an older person really does enjoy cooking and eating, they may be health focused, they may be cuisine focused, yet they may find themselves facing physical limitations. This can eventually lead to the same problem other seniors face – lack of proper nutrition.
When you reach out to us, we will not only help with meal preparation, but the mere fact that someone is there to talk to, cook with, and perhaps share a recipe with, can make an enormous difference( in your loved one’s interest in eating. This can translate into improved appetite and a healthier diet.
