Importance of Good Nutrition as a Person Ages

Healthy eating is always an important part of anyone’s health journey, but it is especially important for the elderly. While there are plenty of wellness perks of eating healthy, the three main reasons to routinely enjoy a healthy diet are:

• It keeps the mind sharp. People who eat plenty of green, leafy vegetables, fresh fish, nuts, and fruit tend to stay sharp-minded longer. These foods help a person stay focused on tasks and retain needed information. They may even help reduce the risk of dementia.
• It keeps the body in good shape. Good nutrition boosts a person’s immune system and helps reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Eating well can also reduce the risk of obesity, which can trigger many health conditions in the elderly.
• It increases a sense of well-being. Eating well provides the energy and fuel needed to enjoy life to its fullest, helping seniors enjoy each day more.

Helping Your Senior Make Better Food Choices

Many poor food choices are due to a lack of knowledge, a fear of the unknown, and an inability to prepare it. It can also be linked to budget concerns, but with proper planning, a little help, and a willingness to break old bad habits, your elderly loved one can be eating well in no time.

Five Tips for Better Meals for Your Senior

1. Work with them once a week on meal planning. Pick one day a week where you’ll shop with your loved one and then help them make a large batch or two of several healthy meals that can be stretched to be eaten most of the week. This will ensure they have something delicious and nutritious on hand when they get hungry, so they’ll reach for it instead of that frozen pizza.
2. Make small changes. If your loved one has a lot of bad eating habits, don’t look to change them all over night. Talk to his doctor about where to start – maybe it’s reducing his salt intake, eliminating sugary sodas from his drink supplies, or incorporating more fresh protein instead of fried foods.
3. Clean out those cupboards and the fridge. Are there pitfalls waiting for them in the freezer or on the back shelf of the pantry? Getting them out of the house reduces temptation.
4. Introduce seasoning. Good seasoning can reduce the need for excess salt or fatty sauces and dips, making many foods healthier.
5. Get help from a personal care at home provider. If your loved one needs daily help with meal preparation, a personal care at home provider can help him with preparing healthy meals that meet his dietary requirements. A personal care at home provider can also help with shopping, cleaning up afterward, and even making sure those leftovers are tossed after they’re no longer good to consume.

These small steps can help you rest easier knowing your senior is eating healthy.

If you or an aging loved one is considering personal care at home in Walnut Creek, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

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Health Concerns of Seniors Who are Underweight

Being underweight is considered to be anyone who has a BMI (Body Mass Index) of less than 18.5. For many seniors, it can be easy to slip into this danger zone of not only being underweight but being malnourished. As a person ages, they might lose a lot of their desire to eat for a myriad of reasons, and then without realizing it, have lost enough weight to put them at risk for other health conditions. Some of those health concerns include:

• A weakened immune system that could put them at greater risk of developing an infection
• Weakened bones that might break more easily.
• Decreased muscle strength which can lead to falls and injuries.
• Wounds take longer to properly heal.
• Cognitive decline.

Five Tips to Help Your Loved One Gain Weight

Before you begin any process of making changes to your loved one’s eating habits, make sure to talk with her physician first to receive guidance to help you navigate any health issues she may have or medications she may take.

• Make calories count. While you may have the goal to boost her daily caloric intake, making those calories count is vital to better health. It shouldn’t be all milkshakes and cake! Instead make sure meals and snacks are made up of nutrient-dense and protein-rich foods that have healthy fats, whole grains, and are low in sugar.
• Reconsider meal sizes. Your loved one may not be able to eat three large meals a day so consider serving five small meals. This can help alleviate possible digestion issues she might have with a larger meal.
• Make snacks part of the diet. Healthy snacks like nuts, dried fruit, and cheese and crackers can add extra calories each day.
• Add calories to drinks. While you don’t want to add a ton of sugar into her drinks, consider having her enjoy a smoothie with her lunch or a glass of milk with breakfast.
• Start an exercise program. Exercising can build muscle mass and increase appetite.

Better Meals with a Personal Care at Home Provider

If one of your main goals with your elderly loved one is helping her to eat meals that have more calories and making sure those calories are healthy, it can help to have a personal care at home provider step in and assist with meal preparation. A personal care at home provider will work with you and your loved one to help ensure she’s eating appropriate foods that taste great and will help her gain weight. You can provide the personal care at home provider with the dietary guidelines that will help your loved one increase her body mass healthily and they will gladly step in to help your loved one succeed in her goals.

If you or an aging loved one is considering personal care at home in Moraga, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

The post Five Tips to Help Your Elderly Loved One Gain Weight appeared first on Golden Heart East Bay.

Help with Activities of Daily Living

Simple tasks like taking a shower or changing clothes are tasks that are easy to forget about. When those tasks become difficult for seniors to handle alone, however, they may feel embarrassed about asking other people for help with them. Without that help, seniors might be at risk of injury, though. Home care providers who specialize in personal care assistance can help with these daily tasks, ensuring seniors are safe and healthy.

Adapting Daily Activities

One of the ways that personal care at home helps with daily activities is by suggesting ways seniors can adapt them for their needs. When seniors have someone else helping them figure out how they can still do certain tasks, they improve their ability to maintain independence, but they also know that help is available if needed. Elder care providers allow seniors to make the decisions about how things get handled, and they empower seniors to stay engaged in their daily routines.

Monitoring for Changes

It’s also important for seniors to have someone assisting them regularly who can monitor for changes. Seniors may not always realize when their needs are changing and how those changes affect their functional abilities. Home care providers can keep family caregivers informed, ensuring that seniors are getting the help that they need as their needs and health issues continue to change.

Emotional Support

It’s draining to have more trouble with tasks that used to be easy to manage. Sometimes seniors even withdraw from friends and other people they love. When personal care at home is there helping with daily tasks, they’re also offering emotional support for seniors. That support is invaluable, helping aging adults work through the emotional challenges that can come with aging.

Preventing Falls

Safety is always a concern for aging adults. When seniors have mobility challenges, like balance issues or other concerns, it helps immensely to have personal care at home providers there who understand their safety needs. Personal caregivers can help seniors address safety concerns, like tripping hazards, and have assistance with mobility concerns when engaging in tasks like bathing and dressing.

Personal care at home keeps seniors healthy and safe while offering assistance with daily tasks. They do this without reducing independence or dignity for seniors. In fact, having the exact help that they need and only when they need it does a lot to help seniors be more independent and to maintain dignity while doing so. Personal care providers allow seniors to age in place with as much grace as they possibly can.

If you or an aging loved one is considering personal care at home in San Ramon, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

The post Personal Care at Home and Preserving Senior Dignity appeared first on Golden Heart East Bay.