If meals were always a big part of how you connected with family, you might find it difficult to manage the change in your loved one’s appetite if she is at a point in her life when she no longer enjoys eating or doesn’t have an appetite. This can occur to many elderly people as they age. It can be brought on by medications or treatments that greatly reduce the appetite; body functions such as taste and smell that diminish over age, or a lack of physical movement that decreases her need and/or desire for food.
If you’ve taken your loved one to visit with her primary caregiver and he’s worried that she’s not eating enough, he will encourage you to help her eat more. The good news is that with some small changes and personal care at home services, you can help your loved one increase her caloric intake fairly quickly and consistently.
Six Techniques to Encourage Her to Eat More
The first task is often trying to get your loved one to eat more at her meals and even in between meals. Here are six techniques, along with personal care at home services, that may help her eat more when a meal is served.
- Create an atmosphere she will enjoy. This might mean putting on her favorite music or even her favorite TV show. It could be that having company helps her eat more. It might even be as simple as getting out the nice dishes and lighting a candle.
- Provide at least one favorite food with each meal. While a well-rounded meal is important, sometimes success is just getting anything eaten off the plate. By having a favorite item that she has always enjoyed, you’ll have more success getting her to eat at least part of her meal.
- Eat meals on a schedule. If you try to wait until your loved one is hungry, mealtimes may never come. Instead, stick to a regular schedule so her body gets used to having food at that time each day.
- Make meals smaller. Large portions can be overwhelming, so you might find smaller portions can help her want to clear her plate with more enthusiasm.
- Limit empty-calorie snacking before a meal. While you might be happy to just have her eat anything, try to avoid offering snacks for an hour or so before a meal so she’s more likely to eat at the meal and get a more well-rounded nutritious meal.
- Allow her to drink her calories occasionally. A smoothie packed full of calories and healthy fruit can be a great breakfast if your loved one is struggling with chewing or food consistency.
Make Meals Easier With A Personal Care at Home Provider
It’s possible as a caregiver to get too emotionally wrapped up in our loved one’s inability to eat well, thus making mealtimes much too emotional for both yourself and your loved one. Having a provider help with personal care at home by providing healthy meals that your loved one will want to eat is one way to take that responsibility off of your plate so you can focus on other parts of caring for your loved one.
A personal care at home provider will work with you to create a healthy meal schedule for your loved one and that she’ll enjoy.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Personal Care at Home in Brandon, FL, please contact the caring staff at Family First Healthcare Services today at (813) 461-8000.
Family First Healthcare Services is a top provider of in-home health services in Tampa, Bradenton, Brandon, Riverview, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Haines City, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto, Town ‘n’ Country, Florida, and surrounding areas.
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