Tips: Help Seniors to Eat Despite Appetite Problems

For many aging individuals, eating becomes more challenging with appetite issues. As a provider of home health services in California, this is a real scenario we come across on many occasions. Yet, even with the lack of appetite, these persons still need to fill their stomach with nutritious food.

So how do you make a senior eat when they have issues with their appetite? We have rounded up the following tips to help you out:

• Evaluate Their Health

  Identify what causes their appetite loss. If it’s due to health concerns, ask for their doctor’s prescriptions and treatment plans to address these health problems. Providers of home health care in Newark, California can keep them company if they need to see their doctor.

• Establish a Meal Routine

  The human body follows a “clock.” It follows the routine you do every day. So, serve meals to your loved ones at the same scheduled time every day.

• Serve in Smaller Portions

  For some seniors, seeing a large serving can be overwhelming. This can discourage them from eating at all. To overcome this, serve smaller portions of their meals. Ensure that these small servings are also nutrient-packed.

• Prepare Snacks

  It is also important for our aging loved ones to eat snacks in between meals. This is important if they have been eating foods in smaller portions. Select healthy and easy-to-eat snacks. Thinly sliced fruits are a great example.

• Encourage Eating with Hands

  Our aging loved ones may not want to eat because they can no longer hold cutlery or utensils properly. To avoid this, remind them that it’s all right to eat with their hands. Just make sure that their hands have been washed before starting the meal.

These are some tips that we hope can help your loved one to eat well. Do you need assistance in caring for them? Contact our home health care agency, Meridian Home Health, for your inquiries.