If our elderly loved ones are living on their own, they can be at risk of malnutrition. This is a very major concern for seniors since their meals are their primary source of nutrients. At their age, they can easily acquire infection when their immune system is not strong enough. However, with the right nutrients, they can be protected from minor infections.
Yet their health can be compromised when they are not eating well. To add to that, when you are not living with them, you may not be able to monitor their diet on a daily basis. This is where our home care company in La Mesa, California can help you out. Our care professionals can take your place in checking on your aging loved ones daily so that their meals are prepared and eaten on time.
Aside from that, here are further ways you can prevent malnutrition in your elderly loved one:
- Explain the Importance of Meals
There can be different kinds of reasons why your aging family member is not eating well. They may have lost their appetite due to their medication. They may feel discouraged because they are eating alone. However, you may be able to uplift them when you gently explain how important eating is for them.
- Ask Her Preferred Meals
Even as a senior, your loved one has preferred foods. Get this information from her so that you can check if her food storage is supplied with these preferred options. You can also check her refrigerator if this is supplied with the foods she wanted. A home health aide can also assist your loved one at home so their preferred foods can be easily prepared.
- Eat Smaller Meals
We may have become accustomed to at least three regular meals in a day. However, for our aging loved ones, this may not be necessary. They can break down their meals to smaller portions but at a more frequent pace. For instance, separate their meals into six portions to be eaten at six different times every day.
- Watch for Drastic Weight Loss
It is also important to pay careful attention of your loved one’s weight. When you’re living separately from them, you can easily observe if their weight has reduced significantly. If you observe this, take them to the doctor right away to determine what causes this loss of weight. When it is caused by an illness, this can be immediately found out and treated.
- Find Help
Mobility issues can also keep seniors from accomplishing even simple tasks such as cooking their food and finishing their meals. When you find out that your loved one goes through conditions like these, request for help from a Home Care Agency in California.
At Sunshine Home Health Aide Org., Inc., you can have the help you need to prevent malnutrition from happening to your loved one.
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