Five Things to Learn from Your Senior’s Eating Habits
Your senior’s eating habits can tell you a great deal about what is going on with her mentally, emotionally, and physically. You might have to dig a little deeper to get to the bottom of why she’s doing what she’s doing, though.
She Might not Be Getting Out
If your elderly family member is avoiding going out as often as she once did, she’s probably not getting to the grocery store, either. That can mean that she’s letting her fridge and pantry get pretty empty before she does anything about it. The foods that she does have on hand might not be the best choices for her.
She’s Having Trouble Cooking
Cooking is not as easy for an older adult as it might have been. It can also take a lot of energy and time that she would rather spend in other ways. Your senior might not feel as safe as she once did in the kitchen, too. The problem is that she might not mention these things to you, so you could be stuck guessing.
Food Isn’t Appealing
Whether the issue is physical or emotional, food might not be appealing to her right now. That’s a problem, though, because her body needs fuel whether she’s interested in ingesting that fuel or not. Without eating, she’s likely to become weaker and her immune system might be compromised.
She May not Remember Eating
If your elderly family member is having trouble with her memory, she might think she ate or believe that she ate, even if she didn’t. She might not recognize hunger cues, either, which complicates this situation even more. If this goes on for too long, she runs the same risks as if she were deciding not to eat on purpose. Her strength and her immune system are both at risk.
She Needs Help
What’s really important to remember no matter what issues your senior is having around food is that this is a vital concern. If she’s not getting proper nutrition, for whatever reason, that’s something you need to step in and remedy for her. She needs your help, and probably in ways that you didn’t expect to have to provide for a long time yet.
How well and how often your senior is eating is important information. Home care providers can fill in those gaps for you. They can also take over preparing meals for your elderly family member so that you can be sure she’s eating regularly and that those meals are full of healthy foods.
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING HOME CARE SERVICES IN ALTOONA, IA, FOR AN ELDERLY LOVED ONE, CONTACT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF DES MOINES, IA AT 515-631-5033. OUR CARING STAFF CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!