Senior citizens often lose their appetite due to sedentary living. If you or a loved one in Philadelphia reach the age of 60, 70, 80 or older, you will find life gradually becomes more difficult in a number of regards. Mobility inside and outside of the house will prove challenging to say the least.
The lack of physical activity in the golden years often leads to the loss of appetite. However, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are essential to a healthy body and brain so skipping meals on a daily basis is not an option. Let’s take a quick look at some tips that will help stimulate your parent or grandparent’s appetite.
Serve Small Portions of Nutrient-Packed Foods
The prospect of consuming an entire plate of food after primarily sitting throughout the day is not exactly comforting. If the senior in your life is immobile or simply lacks energy, he or she probably won’t be interested in wolfing down an entire plate of food. Instead, opt for smaller portion sizes.
Another alternative is to provide the senior in your life with the opportunity to graze. Make upwards of half a dozen micro-meals ahead of time so they are ready to go and your parent or grandparent just might look forward to eating. It is particularly important to choose nutrient-packed foods for these small meals to ensure the food consumed isn’t just empty calories.
Consider the Prospect of a Health Problem
Curing a medical ailment or alleviating the symptoms has the potential to stimulate a senior’s appetite. If your parent or grandparent has a medical problem, he or she probably won’t want to eat. Schedule an appointment with the doctor, review potential side effects from medications, and consider the prospect of a dental issue being the cause of the loss of appetite. Take the steps necessary to overcome the medical ailment and the older adult in your life just might look forward to chowing down.
Stock up on Fun, Tasty and Easy-to-Eat Snacks
There is nothing wrong with eating several small meals or simply snacking throughout the day. As long as the food consumed when snacking is fairly healthy, it will provide your parent/grandparent with energy, vitamins, nutrients and more. Yogurt, diced fruit, cottage cheese, and mixed nuts are some examples of delicious snacks that are healthy enough to consume without feeling even the slightest bit of guilt.
Set a Schedule
Identify specific points throughout the day for snacking and eating meals. Get into the habit of a daily eating routine and the senior you love so much just might look forward to eating, possibly even considering the scheduled eating times as the highlight of the day.
Contact Aurora Home Care
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could remain in your home in your golden years, even if you become ill, and/or mobility-challenged? If you want to remain in your house or apartment yet need assistance, contact our Philadelphia home care providers today. You can reach our team by email at info@auroraathome.com or by phone at 215-354-4444.
