Remember weekend dinners at Grandma’s, whenever the entire family came together round the table to enjoy a hearty meal, chitchat, and laughter? Regrettably, with many families now living far away from their older family members, and with so many urgent needs pulling us in different directions, it’s hard to continue this tradition – and it might be one of the many factors leading to the dramatic upsurge in senior malnutrition.
Up to 25% of all seniors in the U.S. are malnourished, resulting in critical health concerns. For quite a few older adults who live alone, they just aren’t inspired to cook properly for themselves. Others are enduring grief, depression, anxiety, cognitive difficulties, poverty, medication side effects, and a lot more.
Whatever the underlying factors, elderly people who are malnourished face compromised immune systems, longer and much more complicated hospital stays, readmissions, and earlier mortality. And revealing malnutrition isn’t as simple as observing weight loss in a senior; those who appear in good health and even overweight may also be battling with malnourishment challenges.
One critical aspect of detecting senior malnutrition and then dealing with it lies in the hands of the medical community. Seniors should always be screened for nutrition issues by their primary care physician, and a dietary plan established. When hospitalized, hospital personnel should also consider any potential nutritional needs, and include their findings and a prescribed course of action in discharge paperwork to be reviewed with both care providers and also the senior’s physician.
Members of the family also play a vital role in ensuring the nutritional needs of their senior family members are met, as well as in helping to uncover the main cause if problems are found. As an example, if monetary concerns are preventing the senior from maintaining a healthy diet, he or she may be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. At this time, as many as three out of five older adults who do qualify for the program are not using its benefits.
It is crucial to pay attention to signs that your elderly loved one might not be sticking to a healthy diet plan, and to talk about any concerns with the older adult’s physician. And turn to Independence-4-Seniors Home Care for support in establishing better nutritional habits for a senior loved one. We are able to plan and prepare balanced meals, pick up groceries and make certain there are balanced diet options within the fridge and pantry at all times, and offer friendly companionship that will make mealtime more pleasant. Call us at (630) 323-4665 for more tips and professional in-home care assistance.