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Tag: Nutrition

Practical Ways That Seniors Can Maintain A Healthy Weight

Posted on by Craig Bass
Elder Care in Las Vegas NV
Elder Care in Las Vegas NV

During January, seniors should think about what their healthy weight range is and how they can stay at a healthy weight. That’s because January is Healthy Weight Awareness Month. Weight has a huge impact on health, especially for seniors. Being overweight can make seniors more likely to develop serious illnesses. It can also make existing health problems worse. If your senior loved ones are at a healthy weight there are some practical things they can do to maintain that healthy weight like:

Count Calories And Track Meals

If your senior loved ones are at a healthy weight now then they are doing something right. Encourage them to keep a food journal that lists everything they are eating each day and to use a calorie app on their phone or tablet to keep track of the calories that they are eating. For seniors the best way to maintain a healthy weight is to pay attention to the calories that they are eating and make sure they are not eating more calories than they should. More calories means weight gain.

Stay Active with Help from Elder Care

Continuing to get physical activity will help your senior loved ones stay at a healthy weight. Limiting calories to a healthy amount and getting regular exercise are the best things that seniors can do to stay at a healthy weight. Seniors who find that they are losing their motivation to be active can get encouragement and support from an elder care provider. An elder care provider can also help your senior loved ones track their meals and calories.

Develop New Hobbies

Most seniors end up overeating or snacking too much because they are bored. Trying new hobbies and picking up new skills will keep seniors busy, discourage them from snacking, and give them a sense of purpose again. A large number of seniors put off developing hobbies when they were younger because they had bills to pay and a family to support or children to take care of. So now is the time for your senior loved ones to explore some of the things they always wanted to try but were never able to. Encourage your senior loved ones to try new things like playing an instrument, learning a new sport, reading a whole series of books, painting, or gardening. You may even want to try one or two new hobbies with them and make it a family hobby.

Be More Social

Isolation and depression can also be responsible for seniors eating too much or not exercising and gaining weight. Seniors need to be see people and visit with other seniors in order to be healthy. Encourage your senior loved one to join a senior’s center, take an exercise class at the gym, join a craft circle, or participate in other social activities and groups. Volunteer work is a fantastic way for seniors to socialize and do some meaningful work.

Source
https://www.ncoa.org/older-adults/health/diet-nutrition/healthy-weight

If you are considering elder care in Las Vegas, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Easy Ways To Improve Your Senior’s Nutrition

Posted on by Craig Bass
Senior Home Care in Las Vegas NV
Senior Home Care in Las Vegas NV

November is Good Nutrition Month and now is a great time to pay more attention to your senior loved one’s nutrition. Seniors often struggle to eat enough food and to eat nutritious foods. Sometimes seniors skip adding fresh vegetables to meals because they have a hard time shopping. Other times they may find it difficult to prepare fresh vegetables which need to be chopped or cut and cooked. And often seniors don’t get enough protein because they don’t want to make a large meal just for themselves. If your senior loved one isn’t getting the right nutrients here are some easy ways you can get your senior parent to eat better:

Meal Preparation

The easiest way to encourage your senior loved one to eat more nutritious foods is to prepare them ahead of time for your senior loved one. Either you or a senior home care provider can take fresh vegetables and wash, cut, chop, peel, and prepare them. Then portion them into single servings and put those containers into the fridge clearly labeled. Do the same for proteins by preparing chicken breasts, steaks, burgers, or any other type of protein your loved one enjoys. Cook them, portion them into individual servings, label them, then put them in the fridge. Your senior loved one can choose a protein and whatever they vegetables they want for each meal and easily heat them up in the microwave.

Sharing Meals

Sharing meals with your senior loved one is another way you can encourage them to eat better quality foods. Or have a senior home care provider share meals with them during the week if you’re busy at work and can’t make it to your senior parent’s house for a meal. Being able to share a meal with someone else is often enough to get seniors to make better choices about what they are eating.

Supplements and Drinks

Nutritional supplements and drinks don’t replace the vitamins and minerals that seniors can get from fresh vegetables and fruit. They also don’t replace animal protein like chicken breasts. But supplements and protein drinks can be an excellent way to supplement a senior’s diet to make sure that they are getting the extra nutrients they need and getting them in the right amount. Before you start giving your senior loved one any supplements or nutritional drinks you should ask their doctor if there are any foods that your senior should stay away from because of the medication that they are on.

Subscription Boxes and Food Delivery

If the reason why your senior loved one isn’t getting the right nutrition is that they don’t like to shop or find it difficult you can sign them up for a food delivery service or a CSA farm share box that will deliver a box of fresh locally grown vegetables and fruits directly to your senior loved one’s door on a regular schedule. That way your senior parent can enjoy fresh food without the hassles of shopping every few days to get it.

If you are considering senior home care in Las Vegas, NV for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

How to Improve Your Diabetic Senior’s Eating Habits

Posted on by Craig Bass
Home Care Assistance in Henderson NV
Home Care Assistance in Henderson NV

One in every four seniors above the age of 65 and older have diabetes, as well as one in every 10 people 65 and under. As you can see, the numbers are extremely alarming according to the American Diabetes Association. Also, half of all older adults have pre-diabetes conditions, where the glucose level is higher than the normal range. This pre-diabetes can lead to diabetes type 2, if lifestyle and diet changes are not implemented. Often, it is reported that people are unaware and reluctant unless more serious complications occur. Home care assistance can help your loved ones to maintain a good routine and healthy lifestyle!

Complications related to diabetes:

There are other serious complications related to diabetes if not unchecked-

  • Risk of kidney damage
  • Risk for Alzheimer’s disease
  • Risk for heart attack or stroke
  • Risk of vision loss
  • Risk of nerve damage
  • Risk of severe infections
  • Risk of limb amputation

Diet Management:

  • Controlling carbohydrates: It is the most important aspect of the diet in case of diabetes, as carbohydrates are turned into glucose by the body which increases the blood glucose level. Eating a diet lower in carbohydrates by having lean protein like beans, chicken, fish, and whole grain foods slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream.
  • Consuming fat: A total fat free diet can lead to a low blood sugar and also can keep one hungry always. There are some necessary fats that are to be consumed on a daily basis. But trans fat and saturated fat are to be avoided.
  • Necessary Consumption: Lean protein like fish and chicken, good carbohydrates like lentils, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, good fats like avocado, butter, canola oil and green vegetables, leafy vegetables, rainbow fruits and vegetables like tomato, orange, grapes, apples etc. are advised regular dietary items.
  • Restrictions: Any type of added sugary foods and drinks like juice, lemonade, carbonated drinks, any sort of processed food or excessive milk products are dangerous in the case of diabetes.

Conclusion: Can Diabetes Change your Seniors’ Eating Habits?

One must understand that food, first and foremost, is nothing but fuel for our body to function. Having said that, it is also true that for humans, food is also a source of pleasure. There must be a balance between pleasure and fuel intake. Within limits, one can have flexibility in a daily food habit and make various choices that allow indulgence from time to time.

Home care assistance does this for your loved one. They provide dietary options for seniors to choose and keep to a healthy diet. More generally, the main aim of home care assistance is to provide a customized plan for each patient according to their needs and to ensure that how smoothly the plans can be implemented without hampering their existing routine. If you are interested in how home care assistance can help your senior and your family, give us a call today and review your options!

Source:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5509969/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223797950_Nutritional_challenges_in_the_elderly_with_diabetes

If you are considering home care assistance in Henderson, NV for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

Five Ways to Add Fruits and Vegetables to Your Parents’ Daily Diet

Posted on by Craig Bass
Caregivers in Henderson NV

Current recommendations are for older adults to get around two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables each day. That’s about five cups in all. Despite this recommendation, the CDC found that around 10 percent of adults get that much.

How do you make sure your mom and dad are eating the right amounts of fruits and vegetables? Here are five ways to make it happen.

#1 – Have a Vegetarian Day

One or two days a week, have a vegetarian day. Instead of making a meal that includes meat, focus on a vegetarian day. Your dad loves chicken curry. Make a chickpea curry that’s loaded with vegetables instead. The chickpeas provide protein, and you can add a mix of vegetables like spinach, red peppers, carrots, and onions to boost vegetable intake.

Once a week, serve a favorite sandwich with a pot of homemade minestrone. Minestrone is packed with vegetables like kale, zucchini, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and beans.

#2 – Grow Produce at Home

If your parents enjoy gardening, one of the best ways to increase the number of vegetables is by growing them at home. When they open their refrigerator and see a small supply of produce, they’re likely to limit what they eat. If they have a bountiful garden with plenty of fruits and vegetables, they’re more likely to eat them in quantity.

#3 – Get It Ready to Eat

Prepare fruits and vegetables and package in ready-to-eat portions. If there are cucumber, carrot, and celery sticks already washed and sliced, your parents can quickly grab them when they’re hungry. It would be best if you also considered making small containers of hummus or yogurt ranch dips to entice them into snacking on raw veggies.

#4 – Be Sneaky About Adding Vegetables

If your parents don’t like many vegetables, start sneaking them into their foods. Your mom loves having a smoothie each day for breakfast. Add a handful of purple kale to her blueberry smoothie. Add a strong flavor like banana or passionfruit to help hide the taste of the kale.

#5 – Hire Caregivers to Cook Meals

Washing and preparing the fruits and vegetables they eat may be too much for your parents. Arthritis pain in the wrists and fingers can make it hard to slice, peel, or cube produce. Scrubbing away the dirt may be too difficult.

If that’s the problem, caregivers are an easy solution. You can have caregivers visit with your parents while preparing meals they’ll love. Caregivers can wash and prep a variety of fruits and vegetables for them. Call an agency to arrange food preparation services.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html

 

If you or an aging loved on is considering caregivers in Henderson, NV, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.

How Can You Help Your Senior to Get Proper Nutrition with Dysphagia?

Posted on by Craig Bass

Your elderly family member might develop dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, for a variety of reasons. What’s really important in managing dysphagia is ensuring that your senior is able to eat in order to get the nutrition that she needs. This might mean looking at food and meals a little bit differently since liquids need to be thicker and solid foods might be too difficult.

Consider What Vegetables and Fruits Can Be Pureed

Vegetables and fruits lend themselves well to purees, which can be thick enough for your senior to eat easily. Cooked beans, spinach, broccoli, and squashes are all full of vitamins and other nutrients that your elderly family member needs. When cooked, they’re also very easy to puree into a thick soup. Fruits are easy to turn into a fruit soup or to add to a smoothie or shake.

Healthy Fats Are a Great Idea

When calories need to count, don’t overlook healthy fats. Avocados, nut butters, and Greek yogurt are excellent choices. These foods have plenty of protein and fiber, but they’re also high in the types of fats that your senior needs in order to stay healthy. They’re also filling and can help your elderly family member to avoid losing too much weight.

Shakes and Smoothies May Work Well

One of the biggest staples of your senior’s new diet might be smoothies and shakes. While commercial nutritional shakes are plentiful on the market, they’re not always a great idea. They tend to contain a lot of sugar and possibly other ingredients that aren’t a good choice for your senior. Homemade shakes can include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and you can customize them every day for your senior’s tastes.

Talk to Your Senior’s Doctor for Additional Ideas

It’s really important to consider your senior’s overall health and not just getting more calories into her however you can. That can be one goal, but her other health issues may mean that certain foods just aren’t a good idea no matter how they’re prepared. Talk to your senior’s doctor about what she should be eating and what alternatives might work best for her.

This new way of eating in order to keep your senior nourished while she deals with dysphagia can be complicated for both of you. It can help to have home care providers there to help your senior with meal preparation and even with eating if that has become a challenge, too.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HOME CARE IN SUMMERLIN, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.