Six Ideas to Encourage Your Senior to Eat Regularly

If your elderly family member isn’t eating regularly, you and she might both feel a little frustrated. There can be any number of different reasons for this. Some of these ideas might help.

Eat Outside When the Weather Is Nice

Enjoying a meal outside when the weather, including temperatures, are comfortable can offer a nice change of pace for your senior. If your elderly family member has an outdoor space at her home that would be perfect for this, make a plan for an al fresco meal soon.

Set up Meal Companions

Eating alone can be upsetting for many people. If your senior falls into this category, look for ways to help her to have social meals. Friends and family members might take turns stopping by for meals, but that might not always be possible. Another option is for home care providers to stop by and offer companionship during meals, while also offering other assistance.

Make the Table Welcoming

It’s easy for forget but having a comfortable and welcoming space in which to eat can be tremendously encouraging. Make sure that your senior is able to sit upright at the table. From there, it’s about aesthetics. Consider fresh flowers, or a lovely table setting that ordinarily your senior might keep for company.

Inventory Your Senior’s Pantry and Fridge for Easier Meal Prep

Sometimes putting a healthy and flavorful meal together feels more complicated than it is. If your senior has a pantry and fridge inventory that she can glance at to choose a healthy meal, that takes a lot of guesswork out of meal preparation. It can also help her to stop avoiding meals if that’s been an issue.

Consider Meal Delivery Programs

Meal delivery programs might be a good idea, too. Meals on Wheels is just one type of meal delivery service that hand delivers fresh meals to seniors. You may also want to consider looking into mail delivery meal services, which can sometimes offer more variety.

Ask Your Senior What She Might Find Helpful

Don’t forget to ask your elderly family member what she might find useful and helpful in terms of eating more regularly. There’s a chance that she may offer suggestions you didn’t think of at first. It might take a little bit of creativity on both your parts to solve issues she’s facing.

Make sure that you rule out any medical issues that could be contributing, as well. Being thorough ensures you’ve got all the bases covered.

If you or an aging loved one are considering homecare in Del Mar, CA, please contact the caring staff at Innovative Healthcare Consultants today. Call us at (760) 731-1334.​​