How Senior Home Care Can Help Your Loved One Eat More
April 18, 2024
As your loved one ages in place alone they are at risk of losing weight. If you start to notice weight loss this could be dangerous and even fatal in extreme cases. The first thing you need to do is figure out why your loved one is not maintaining weight and figure out if they need more help around the house. Your senior loved one may be losing weight because:
- They are not eating.
- They are losing muscle.
- They forget to eat.
- They are not cooking.
- They don’t have a good way to grocery shop.
All of these problems do have a solution. One of the best things a senior can find is senior home care assistance to help them around the house. These are professionals who will help with every aspect of meal prep and it might help your loved one eat more. Senior home care will go through someone's fridge and pantry to see what they already have and then figure out a menu for the week and grocery shop. This may help your loved one eat more but there are other ways senior home care can help your loved one consume more calories and maintain a healthy weight.
Sneak in Snacks
If your loved one is not eating enough and not holding on to weight, senior home care may need to alter the snacks they give your mom or dad. They may need higher-calorie snacks like nuts which are also filled with healthy fats and protein. Finding the right snacks will encourage your loved one to eat more and it can be rewarding. When food is not fun it can feel super hard to eat and more like a chore, which could be why your loved one does not eat as often as other people.
Prepare and Plan Meals
Not all seniors have the energy or mental capacity to think about what they have and then prepare meals. This may mean they do not want to eat or they just don’t care enough to make meals. Having help cooking meals and having something easy to grab throughout the day can be beneficial and an easy way to get a senior to eat more.
Find the Right Foods
Sometimes a senior just hates certain foods and it is all that is in the house. Senior home care can keep a list of a senior's favorite foods, and favorite recipes, and stock the house up with those items. When a senior has something easy to grab and they know they already like it, they will be more likely to eat until they are full and satisfied.
Keep a Schedule
It seems silly but senior home care can help your loved one get on a regular eating schedule. This means around the same time every day a senior will have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Your loved one may not feel hungry but may eat more when it is on the right schedule.
Take Them to the Doctor
If senior home care has done everything they possibly can and a senior is still not eating, not hungry, and losing weight, it could be a health problem. If this is the case, senior home care should encourage an elderly person to talk to their doctor about these problems before it gets worse.
If you or your loved one is looking for Senior Home Care in Palo Alto, CA, please call Familiar Surroundings Home Care.
Santa Clara County: (408) 979-9990
San Mateo County: (650) 353-9777
Santa Cruz County: (831) 480-3990