How Can You Make Eating Easier for Your Aging Adult?
Eating can be one of the more complicated situations for your aging adult as her health becomes more of an issue. It’s often tricky to get the right combination of nutritious and delicious elements into each day so that your senior is enjoying eating but also getting a health boost from her food. Your senior’s doctor may recommend a specific diet and sometimes working with a dietician is a good idea. They can offer ideas that help you keep meals more interesting.
Plates and Tableware Matter
Patterned plates and bowls may be pretty, but they can make it difficult for your elderly family member to see her food properly. It’s much better to use solid-colored plates and tableware. If the colors contrast with the food itself, then it’s much easier to actually see the food. This can help your senior to identify what she’s eating much more easily, too.
Weighted Utensils with Larger Handles Help
Larger handles are easier to grip, especially if your elderly family member has arthritis or other issues with grip strength. When the utensils are lightly weighted, too, that can help with balance, especially if your senior experiences tremors. You might want to try out a variety of utensils to find the ones that work best for your senior’s particular needs.
Choose Foods She Enjoys
It’s really important for your senior to eat the right foods, but it’s also important that she enjoys those foods. If she doesn’t, she’s going to be far less likely to actually eat the food you’re preparing and that does no one any good. Try finding ways to bump up the nutritional value of foods and dishes that she already likes by adding vegetables and other nutrient-rich ingredients.
Get Creative with Nutrition
This may cause you to get really creative with your senior’s nutrition. For instance, you might want to start introducing fruit and vegetable smoothies to her daily diet. These delicious drinks can often camouflage some ingredients that your elderly family member might not normally choose for herself. You can also slip nutrient-rich ingredients into soups and stews easily.
If you can help your senior to eat on her own, that helps to maintain her self-esteem. There’s no shame in needing help to eat, though. Senior care providers can help you to learn how to help your elderly family member to eat in a way that is less awkward for both of you.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Home Care Services in Ardmore, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Suma Home Care. Call today: (484) 206-4544
- Elder Care Strategies for Assisting Seniors in Shingles Recovery - December 29, 2023
- Physical Therapy at Home: How Seniors Can Maximize Benefits - December 19, 2023
- Personal Care at Home: A Guide to Senior Skin Care - December 13, 2023