Food is a key part of helping your senior to be as healthy as possible, but she may not be eating much. There are lots of reasons your elderly family member’s appetite might be suffering, and there are some tricks and tips you can try to stimulate her appetite.
Make Sure She’s at Least Drinking Water
A lot of people who aren’t eating much may not be drinking enough water, either. Lots of times even if your senior isn’t much of a water drinker, she’s getting some water from the food she’s eating. So if she’s not doing either, you need to make a little more effort to ensure she drinks some water. Encourage her to sip regularly from a glass or bottle of water and refresh it throughout the day.
Try Some Variety
Food can be tricky for older adults for a lot of reasons. Between changes to her sense of smell or taste and health issues she’s experiencing, food may just seem blander than she wants it to be. She could also be bored with the meal choices. That can be frustrating to realize when you’re just trying to get her to eat something, but it’s definitely something to consider. Switching things up as much as you can may work. Something else to remember is that if you can offer your senior choices, that helps a lot of issues.
Aim for the Tastiest Dishes You Can
When food tastes really good, that’s an appetite trigger. Do what you can to serve your elderly family member a combination of healthy but tasty foods on a regular basis. If her favorite foods are ones she really should be avoiding, see if there’s something that you can do to adjust the health factor on those dishes.
Bump up the Calorie Count of What She Will Eat
You may find your senior only eats certain foods. That might mean you have to do what you can to increase the calorie counts on the foods your elderly family member will actually eat. If she’ll drink smoothies, then adding whole fat milk might be a good idea. Little changes can make a big impact in terms of calorie counts if she’s hardly eating much at all.
It can be tough to stay on top of your senior’s diet all on your own. Working with elderly care providers can help you to get a better picture of what your senior is willing to eat and when.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Senior Care in Buckeye, AZ, please contact the caring staff at Blessings for Seniors Companion Care at (623) 594-0819
Blessings for Seniors makes it possible for older adults to enjoy the comforts of their own home for as long as possible. We offer a customized care plan that includes services such as; Hourly Senior Home Care, 24-Hour Home Care, Dementia Care, Personal Care and Companion Care. Also ask us about our Veterans’ Home Care program.
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