What Should You Do if Your Senior Says Food Tastes Strange?

There are a few reasons your aging family member might stop eating some of her favorite foods. One of the biggest can be a sudden experience where your elderly family member finds that food tastes different than she expects. You might be able to figure out some workarounds for this issue, but it’s important to rule out health problems first.

Talk to Her Doctor

Any time that your senior is noticing some big changes to how she experiences food, it’s important to look a little more closely. Some health issues can cause food to taste different, and some medications have side effects that affect taste. Your senior’s doctor can help you to look for and find a resolution for those issues.

Check for Dental Issues

If your elderly family member has any dental issues, they can significantly affect how her food tastes. Diagnosing these issues and getting them treated can help her to regain her normal responses to her favorite foods. More importantly, getting dental issues resolved helps your senior to stay as healthy as possible and hopefully allows her to keep her teeth in good working order.

Try Different Foods or Cooking Methods

For situations that are more permanent, you may need to try something else. Seeking out different recipes can be a good idea. You might be able to recreate your senior’s favorite flavors in another way, especially if she’s had to give up certain cooking methods, like frying. Using a greater variety of seasonings and herbs can also help quite a bit.

Make Sure She’s Getting Plenty of Water

Dehydration can also affect your senior’s sense of taste. This is especially true if she’s facing side effects from medications that contribute to losing more fluid than she’s taking in. It’s important to have a water goal for your senior but start small and work your way up to larger amounts. Talk to your elderly family member’s doctor about how much water she should aim to get in every day.

Often when faced with difficulties like this, aging adults opt to do things like stop eating or eat foods that are seriously lacking in nutrition. It might feel like too much work to your elderly family member to find a solution. Having senior care providers taking over meal preparation duties can be a huge help for your elderly family member and may make her more amenable to trying new solutions.

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