Tips for Getting Your Elderly Loved One to Eat Better

By Jamie Shapiro | November 24, 2020 | Comments Off on Tips for Getting Your Elderly Loved One to Eat Better

Have you or one of the caregivers noticed that your elderly loved one isn’t eating well? If so, there could be many reasons why they aren’t eating enough. The good news is that there are some tips for getting your elderly loved one to eat better. By using these tips, you can ease your elderly loved one back into getting the nutrition they need.  

Sensory Stimulation

Caregiver Glenview, IL: Seniors and Eating Better

Is there too much stimulation around where your elderly loved one is supposed to be eating? For instance, are you trying to give them their meals in the living room with the television on? If so, you might want to consider having them eat somewhere calmer and quieter. You or one of the caregivers could have a nice quiet meal with your elderly loved one in the dining room. With less stimulation, your elderly loved one might start eating better.  

Socialization 

You might not think it is important to eat with other people. However, if your elderly loved one has to eat alone, they may not want to eat at all. If you have found that your elderly loved one isn’t eating well, having you or one of their caregivers eat with them might be the solution. Your loved one might just need someone to be their companion. Usually, if an elderly person recently lost their spouse, they may not eat well for a while. This is just something to keep in mind if your elderly loved one has recently stopped eating well.  

Limiting Pop and Coffee 

Has your elderly loved one been drinking too much caffeine? If so, this could be causing them to become dehydrated. When they are dehydrated, they aren’t feeling as great. This could cause them to have a loss of appetite. If your elderly loved one currently has too much caffeine, encourage them to drink less. Even if they eliminate one or two cups of coffee or pop a day, this could help them to feel better. Once they start feeling better, they may begin to eat better, as well. It would also be a great idea to have your elderly loved one replace at least one of their caffeinated beverages with a cup of water.  

Conclusion 

These are some of the best tips for getting your elderly loved one to eat better. With these tips, hopefully, your elderly loved one will start eating as much as they should be eating. Hopefully, they will stop missing meals or stop only eating bits and pieces of their meals. If your elderly loved one still won’t eat well after implementing these tips, you should have them see their doctor to get a checkup. There could be something else going on. 

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering a Caregiver in Glenview, 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. 

 

Sources 

https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/health/info-2018/dementia-nutrition-loss-of-appetite.html 

Jamie Shapiro
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