Throughout our life, eating fresh and healthy food is essential to our wellbeing. In case of seniors, nutrition is one of the major prerequisites for better health and longer life. That is why experienced Los Angeles senior home care experts take extra care when planning and preparing seniors’ meals. But if you are your senior loved one’s caregiver you know that sometimes no matter how much effort you put into cooking or how tasty the meal is, seniors refuse to eat.
Lack of appetite can sometimes be a symptom of a dangerous medical issue or a side-effect of a medication. Other times it’s a reflection of the seniors’ mood or just stubbornness. In any case, inadequate nutrition is linked to numerous dangerous conditions. Therefore, it’s up to caregivers to make sure their senior loved ones or clients get their daily dose of energy and healthy nutrients.
But how can you do that when your senior loved one refuses to eat?
Keep a Schedule
If you’ve been a caregiver for some time, you know habits and routines are a powerful factor in seniors’ lives. Therefore, planning an eating schedule and sticking to it can help seniors eat better. Moreover, having the meals at the exact time every day will develop a mechanism in the seniors’ bodies that will trigger at the same time every day and send the seniors a signal that they are hungry.
Choose the Right Meals
Lack of appetite and eating less is to some extent a natural part of the aging process. Therefore, as seniors eat significantly less it’s important to make sure their meals contain all the right nutrients. Their meals should include a lot of vegetables and fruits, low fat or fat-free dairy, poultry, eggs, nuts, and fish. Even their snacks should be healthy and as nutritious as possible. Peanut butter and avocado are great examples of healthy snacks.
Make Meals Fun and Social
Eating has always been a social occasion, and there’s no reason why that should not be the case at a later age. After all, people tend to eat more when dining in the company of others as numerous studies have shown. Eating in the company of others can be a great incentive for seniors to have and enjoy their meals. Lack of appetite is often linked to depression and loneliness, and having seniors dining in the presence of their friends or family members can vastly improve their appetite. However, since families are often miles apart from their senior loved ones, professional caregivers could help by keeping them company and joining them for a meal. Alternatively, you could have them join others in churches or local senior centers.
Get Creative with the Serving
Most of us know exactly what the phrase “eating with your eyes” means. Good looking food can go a long way to improve our appetite. If your senior loved one refuses to eat or suffers from a lack of appetite, try serving colorful and decorated meals. Inviting meals can help alleviate the appetite issue in seniors and colorful meals often equal healthy meals.
Pinpoint the Issue
All of these tips might not help if there’s an underlying medical issue affecting their appetite. Knowing when to consult a medical expert is crucial to seniors’ well-being. A doctor can help you find the issue that’s causing your senior loved one’s loss of appetite or recommend supplements and stimulants to keep them healthy and replace all the necessary nutrients.
Seniors tend to experience periods of decreased appetite, but if this continues for long they could be at risk of malnutrition and inviting dangerous diseases to take advantage of their weakened immune systems. Therefore, knowing exactly what the cause of their decreased appetite is can help cure it and make your senior loved ones regain an appreciation for a good meal once again.
Find a Reliable Los Angeles Senior Home Care Company
Sometimes taking care of a difficult senior can be a challenge for their loved ones and if your senior parent or relative is struggling with lack of appetite, they will need all the professional help they can get. Caregivers referred by A Better Way in Home Care can help seniors by planning a diet, preparing fresh and nutritious meals and keeping seniors company while they eat.
