Five Tips to Help Stimulate Your Senior’s Appetite

Without much of an appetite, your senior isn’t getting nutrients that she needs badly in order to keep herself going. She might start to lose weight or even become malnourished. If you can stimulate her appetite, that can help immensely in getting her to eat more.

Home Care in Highland Park IL: Tips to Stimulate Your Senior's Appetite

Home Care in Highland Park IL: Tips to Stimulate Your Senior’s Appetite

Try Some New Spices.

There are a whole lot of spices available in the spice aisle and some of them are sure to be appetizing to your aging family member. The trick can be to find the right ones. Give some of the spices you’ve never tried before a chance. If you’re not sure what to do with them, try doing an Internet search for the name of the spice and the word “recipes.”

Try Some New Cooking Methods.

Fried foods might not be on the menu for your elderly family member much these days because of her health and that’s understandable. But if she’s holding out for her favorite deep-fried deliciousness, you might feel stuck. Air frying is getting a lot more popular and your elderly family member might just love it.

Go Nutrient Heavy.

Sometimes more food isn’t the answer, even when you want your elderly family member to be eating more food. This is when you need to look at how nutrient-rich the foods she’s eating are. If she’s eating foods that are high in empty calories, that’s not a good solution. Milkshakes made with spinach, fruit, and cocoa can be just as tasty but they’re also rich in nutrients.

Distract Her with Social Meals.

Lots of people don’t like eating alone, but that isn’t always easy to work around. When you can make meals more social for your aging adult, though, she might eat a little more each time. Try to do what you can to make meals as social as possible for your senior.

Talk to Her Doctor.

When you’ve tried everything and it just isn’t working, you might want to consider talking to your senior’s doctor. There are prescription appetite stimulants that might help for your aging family member. This could be something that’s a last resort, though, depending on her other health considerations.

If cooking is the problem, you might want to consider hiring home care providers to take over that chore for you and your senior. They can help to ensure that your aging adult is eating meals that are nutritious, fresh, and appetizing. In addition, they’re great company during mealtimes if there’s no one else available to sit with her.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Highland Park, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Jamie Shapiro