If you are caring for your elderly loved one, you will need to have a talk with them about their nutrition. There are far too many senior citizens who aren’t getting the nutrition they need. Some elderly people will eat too much junk food. Other elderly people might not eat enough food at all. Your elderly loved one might have another problem with the way or how much they eat. It is important that you learn to recognize if your elderly loved one has a nutrition issue. If they have home care providers, make sure those providers let you know if there is a problem. If there is a nutrition issue, there are some things you can do to help.

Regular Refrigerator Cleaning

From time to time, you might need to help your elderly loved one by cleaning out their refrigerator, cabinet, or pantry. You should look for any food that is past the expiration date. In the refrigerator, you should clean out any leftovers that weren’t made in the last couple of days. If there are condiments or other foods in the fridge that are old, those should be thrown out, too. There are many elderly people who are eating rotten or old food and getting sick. If you or a home care provider help your elderly loved one to regularly clean out their refrigerator, this can be prevented.

Grocery Shopping Assistance

You or the home care provider could also help your elderly loved one with grocery shopping. Your loved one might have nutrition issues because they can’t read the labels on the food they buy. They might not know what foods are the best for them. You can either go shopping with your elderly loved one or go for them. It might be best to sit with your loved one to make a list of groceries. You will need to get foods they are going to eat or it will defeat the purpose of having them eat healthier.

Doctor’s Appointment

You might need to talk to your elderly loved one’s doctor, as well. For instance, if your loved one is losing a lot of weight because they won’t eat much, it might be more than just stubbornness. Your elderly loved one might have a health condition that is causing their lack of appetite. The doctor might need to run some tests to determine what is going on with your elderly loved one.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why your elderly loved one might not be eating healthy, not eating enough, or eating too much. If there is an issue with your elderly loved one’s nutrition, these are some of the things that you can do to help.

Sources
https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/nutrition-age/older-individuals

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Maple Grove, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.