Malnutrition is something that affects many seniors. Some studies indicate that a huge percentage of seniors could be malnourished at any given point in time. Sometimes that’s because seniors just aren’t eating the right kinds of foods but other times it’s because seniors just aren’t eating enough food.

There are a lot of reasons why seniors don’t eat as much as they should. Depression can take away a senior’s appetite. So can many medications that are commonly prescribed for seniors. Seniors who live alone may not bother preparing meals for themselves. Other seniors may find it too difficult to shop for food. But if your senior parent isn’t eating enough there are some things to you can do to coax them to eat more like:

Rely on Senior Home Care

Senior home care is great for seniors who are aging at home. When seniors have senior home care they will have company during the day. They also will have someone in the house to help them cook meals and clean up afterward. And they will have a friend to share meals and conversation with.

Meals will be fun again instead of something they just have to do. Seniors are much more likely to eat a meal and enjoy regular meals when they have someone to share those meals with. A home care provider can also go shopping with seniors to help them shop and get the groceries home safely.

Have Meals Delivered

Another way to make sure that your senior loved one is eating is to have meals delivered to them. Healthy meal kits from meal delivery services are a fantastic option for seniors, especially for seniors that have senior home care so they have someone there to help them cook those meals from the kits.

But there are also local restaurants and home chefs who make meals and deliver them to seniors that you can sign your senior parent up for. This is a great way for seniors to get traditional meals they love like meat loaf or lasagna which they don’t want the hassle of cooking. Ordering a traditional dinner three nights a week would give them plenty of leftovers for other days of the week.

Stop By For Lunch

If you are working during the week start stopping over at your senior parent’s house for lunch instead of going home or to a restaurant for lunch. You will still get to get away from work for a little while and you’ll get to share a meal with your senior parent.

Sneak Calories Into The Foods They Will Eat

If there are some foods that your senior loved one will eat try to pile some extra calories into those meals. For example if your senior loved one will eat a sandwich put extra cheese on it and it condiments like mayonnaise that have a lot of calories so they are getting the benefit of some extra calories. Or if your senior parent likes smoothies put some yogurt in there along with the fruit to make it a little more nutritious.

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Potomac, MD, please contact the caring staff at Care At Home today. 301-970-9706

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Ann Smith RN

Owner at Care at Home

Ann Smith, RN, Realtor® Your local Home care and Home transition expert Ann is a Registered Nurse and a Realtor with a passion and dedication to serving her community. She has over twenty years of nursing experience in pediatric, geriatric, home health care, and care management. She founded Care at Home, a home care company, to provide seniors with services that promote independence and safe aging in place. Ann is dedicated to helping seniors achieve stress-free retirement living by providing comprehensive services from health to home. Ann's mother instilled in her the value of hard work, dedication, and service to others at a young age, which is now a driving force in her home care agency. Her caring and compassionate work with seniors began when she was just 17 years old. She was offered a job as a caregiver. Just as quickly, she instinctively knew that this would be her life's work. She soon became a nurse and has since helped many older adults transition seamlessly into a new phase of life. While helping seniors and individuals with their home care needs, it became apparent that part of the transition process often involved selling their current home for more suitable living arrangements. That's when Ann decided to add real estate services to alleviate stress and enhance her client's experience. It's also how she became known as the Home Transition Agent. Today, Ann helps her mature clients achieve stress-free retirement living by providing in-home care and comprehensive services from health to home. Ann's love for children and dedication to helping families caring for children with chronic health conditions inspired Pediatric Care at Home, a division of Care at Home that provides pediatric nursing care. Ann and her team are dedicated to providing compassionate care to all, from infants to older adults. When Ann isn't busy helping her patients and clients, she volunteers her time at women's shelters and fostering dogs. She and her veteran husband enjoy a simple life in the countryside, where farm animals and country life surround them. Ann also enjoys reading, photography, gardening, and nature walk with their dogs.

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