How to Help Older Adults Eat Healthy All Year Long

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A caregiver who knows how to help older adults eat healthy tosses a salad for an older man.

Help older adults eat healthy and prevent malnutrition with these tips.

With the holidays nearing, you might be thinking about festive meals and family gatherings centered around favorite foods and traditions. But what about the rest of the year? Is everyone in your family—particularly older loved ones—getting proper nutrition on a regular basis? While holiday feasts could be an exception, many seniors quietly struggle with malnutrition for a number of reasons. The first step to knowing how to help older adults eat healthy all year is learning about the issues they might be facing. Read more

What to Do When a Senior Does Not Want to Eat

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Home caretaker – man helping senior man

Learn what to do when a senior does not want to eat at mealtime.

Following the holiday feasts, many people choose to reduce their calorie intake. But when a senior loved one refuses to eat altogether or is making unbalanced or unhealthy dietary choices, it is important to look for the cause associated with this behavior and to recognize how to encourage them to get on track with healthier eating.

Why Do Senior Eating Habits Change?

There could be many factors at play when a senior does not want to eat or when they begin to make poor dietary choices – as well as many ways you can help overcome them:

  • Issues with dental health. Speak with the dentist to determine if dentures should be refitted or if there are any other dental concerns that need to be addressed. You may want to provide foods which are softer and/or cut them into smaller pieces. Lentils, ground meat, and beans, for example, are easier to chew than a steak or pork chop.
  • Low vision. If the senior is unable to see clearly, they may regard foods differently and lose interest in eating. Vision problems can also make it more difficult and even dangerous to prepare meals as well as get out to pick up groceries. Offer to help with shopping and meal prep (or let us help!) and serve foods that are brightly colored and contrasted to the colors of serving dishes, place mats, the tablecloth, etc. so they’re more easily seen.
  • Side effects from medications. Schedule an appointment with the physician for a complete review of all medications being taken, and find out if one or more could be leading to a loss of appetite or troubling gastrointestinal side effects. See if the medication can be changed to something more tolerable or if perhaps the dosage can be changed.
  • Loneliness. This is a standard problem among older adults, and can make mealtime less enjoyable. Share meals whenever possible with a lonely senior loved one, invite friends and neighbors to join them, or contact Responsive Home Care for a caregiving companion to assist.
  • Loss of taste or smell. Aging as a whole often results in a dulling of these senses, which may affect the satisfaction of eating. Try experimenting with more aromatic and flavorful spices and herbs while preparing meals, such as ginger, garlic, and thyme.

Responsive Home Care is here for older adults struggling to keep up a healthy diet, for whatever reason. When a senior does not want to eat at their regular mealtimes, we can partner with you to help provide senior loved ones with every chance to once again enjoy meals and establish improved eating habits. Contact us online or at (954) 486-6440 to discover how we can help with our services for elder care in Hollywood, FL and the nearby areas.

How Beverage Thickeners Can Help with Swallowing Disorders in Seniors

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happy-senior-lady-drinking-smoothie

Help ease swallowing disorders in seniors with beverage thickeners.

If you’re not living with a swallowing disorder, you probably haven’t thought much about the various consistencies and textures of the liquids in your diet. When you are thirsty, nothing hits the spot like an ice-cold glass of water. On a hot summer day, you may crave a cool milkshake. And when you are recuperating from the flu, a warm bowl of soup is so comforting.

When you’re dealing with swallowing disorders in seniors, however, liquids need to be thickened, making it harder to feel as though your thirst is quenched, and changing your ability to enjoy things such as that first hot cup of coffee in the morning, or a glass of your favorite soda at lunchtime. Making a change to thickened liquids does take time, but these suggestions can help.

What Are the Best Beverage Thickeners?

It all depends on personal preference, and it may take some experimentation to identify which works best. A doctor will advise on the degree of thickness needed, which can vary from thin, to nectar- or honey-like, to spoon-thick. The kinds of thickeners available include:

  • Starch powders, produced from modified cornstarch, which have to be served right after mixing in order to avoid lumpiness or a gritty texture or taste.
  • Liquid or gel thickeners that blend easily without clumping, even into beverages which can be harder to thicken, such as soda, hot foods, or supplement beverages.
  • Pre-thickened products, which are becoming increasingly available, either in honey or nectar consistencies.
  • Gum-based powders, which are fairly new and are commonly a preferred option over starch powders, because they maintain their viscosity over time, and work without adding flavor, grit, or cloudiness to the liquid.

When navigating swallowing disorders in seniors, hydration is of the utmost importance. Certain fluids may be more palatable, particularly as the person is adapting to thickened liquids. Try fruit juice, which will be similar in texture to a fruit puree or smoothie. You can also freeze thickened juice, or just about any other thickened beverage, into an ice pop.

And don’t forget that beverage thickeners may be covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance providers. Although these products can be obtained over the counter, ask a doctor to write a prescription and include the requirement for a beverage thickener in the senior’s chart notes to see if the cost is reimbursable.

Our caregivers can help prepare thickened beverages and provide encouragement to make certain someone with a swallowing disorder stays healthy and hydrated, along with many other senior care services at home. Email or call us at (954) 486-6440 to request a complimentary in-home consultation to find out more about our home care in Lighthouse Point and the nearby areas.

Could Vitamins Benefit Your Senior Health or Is It All Just a Marketing Ploy?

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Lady holding vitamin and glass of water

Could vitamins benefit your senior health?

Vitamins, minerals, and supplements – oh my! Seventy percent of older adults are taking them; but could vitamins benefit your senior health? After all, a healthy, balanced diet offers seniors essential nutrients. But there are particular areas of deficiency which could call for the addition of a supplement. Be sure to check with the doctor before making any changes, but with their approval or recommendation, consider the following:

Calcium

Aging bones are susceptible to fractures and breaks when calcium intake is inadequate. This is especially true for post-menopausal women, with a full 50% of those over age 50 breaking a bone as the result of osteoporosis. However, men are also in danger for serious complications from calcium deficiency. A hip fracture in men, for example, is much more likely to be fatal than it is for women.

The very best natural sources for calcium are salmon, leafy greens, kale, broccoli, and dairy products, but most women over age 50 and men over age 70 aren’t getting sufficient calcium from food alone. The NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements recommends 1,200 mg of calcium per day for women over age 51 and men over age 71, and 1,000 mg daily for men ages 51 – 70.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is calcium’s best friend. They work most effectively when taken together to improve not just bone health, but the immune and nervous systems and perhaps the heart as well. Sunshine is the best source for vitamin D, but aging skin as well as the risk of skin cancer may cause roadblocks to obtaining adequate levels.

Recommendations are 15 mcg/600 IU per day up to age 70, and 20 mcg/800 IU per day for people over age 71. If vitamin D supplements are advised by the doctor, they should always be taken with food for optimal absorption.

Vitamin B12

Deficiencies of vitamin B12 are common in older adults, and even more so for those who take certain medicines (especially gastric acid inhibitors or metformin). Without sufficient vitamin B12, older adults are far more vulnerable to developing anemia, nerve damage or neuropathy, balance problems, depression, confusion, poor memory, and dementia.

The NIH recommends 2.4 mcg per day, which can be obtained through a diet high in fish and clams, liver, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and fortified cereals. And unlike other minerals and vitamins, even large quantities of vitamin B12 haven’t been shown to cause harm, according to the NIH.

Unsure which dietary supplements are appropriate for a senior you love? Let one of Responsive Home Care’s care providers accompany you to the doctor’s office to find out. Contact us at (954) 486-6440 for more information on how we can help boost older adult health by providing home care assistance in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas. See our service area page for all of the Broward County communities we service.