Why Isn’t Your Senior Eating as Well as She Should?
Nutrition is a key part of keeping your senior as healthy as possible. Unfortunately, she might not be eating as well as she should be in order to maintain her health. Here are a few problems that could be the cause.
Elder Care in Evanston IL: Healthy Eating
Her Health Makes Cooking or Eating Difficult.
When your aging adult is not in the best health, cooking and even eating can become difficult for her to do on her own. In that situation, your senior might choose convenience foods more often than she really should or she might avoid eating completely. This can lead very quickly to problems with malnutrition.
She Has Mobility Issues.
Problems with mobility might mean that your elderly family member can’t easily get out to the store, but they can also mean that your senior has trouble standing and cooking at the same time. Using mobility aids, such as a walker, can help significantly, but that may not solve the problem entirely.
Transportation Is a Problem.
If your elderly family member no longer drives, then it may be difficult for her to get to the store to shop for groceries. She may not tell you that she doesn’t have access to easy transportation, either, so you may need to do some more digging to get to that problem.
She’s Afraid to Go Shopping.
Some aging adults can start to get uncomfortable when they’re out in public. Crowds can be scary on their own, but your senior might be worried about being shoved, rushed, or even stared at when she’s doing her regular shopping. These fears aren’t unfounded, but there are potential solutions. For instance, she might feel more comfortable shopping if you or elder care providers are with her.
She Doesn’t Want to Cook.
After years and years of cooking for herself, your loved one may simply be tired of doing it. This isn’t unusual and it can relate to her energy levels, too. The good news is that your senior can still eat delicious, healthy meals even if she wasn’t the one who cooked them. The key is knowing that she needs help in that area.
Many of these issues can be resolved easily by you taking over the bulk of the cooking and meal planning for her, but you might not have the time and energy to do that. Working with elder care providers gives you someone else you can rely on to help ensure that your elderly family member is eating healthy meals regularly.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Evanston, 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.
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