Sometimes elderly people forget to eat or they stop eating or they refuse to eat. As a family caregiver, this might frustrate you to no end and the most important thing you can do is take a step back and not get angry about the situation. There are many reasons why your elderly parents may stop eating and it is important to remain calm when trying to figure out why. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective from an in-home care provider to truly understand what is going on before you can do anything about it.
Here is what to do and try with in-home care if your mom or dad is refusing to eat.
Ask About Pain Levels
You may not know your mom or dad is in pain because they do not want to worry you and they may not want to talk about it with you. However, they may feel more comfortable talking about their pain levels to an in-home care aide. Allow your in-home care provider to ask about pain and this can help them identify if a senior needs to go to a doctor especially if a senior is normally a good eater and loves food. Pain can be a huge reason why seniors do not eat and it is important to identify where this pain is coming from and what can be done about it to make them more comfortable.
Experiment More
If you have made the same thing over and over again for a senior they may not want to eat it over and over again. Instead of going for the same thing try using different spices that smell appealing to them or ask what flavors they feel like that night. You may eat tons of chicken but it doesn’t have to be the same flavor every night. Keep in mind that if a senior lives alone, in-home care can help prepare meals at the beginning of every week and they can help a senior try new things which can encourage your loved one to eat more than they normally would.
Try Different Cooking Methods
If your loved one loves boiled carrots, try baking them, air frying them, or sauteing them up in a pan. You can eat the same things but create different flavors and textures based on the way you cook them. You don’t have to be a professional chef to do this, you just have to put some thought into it. Changing up the textures a senior eats can be a great tool to get them to eat more. If you don’t have enough time to cook for your loved one anymore, this is something that in-home care can help your loved one with and it can have a huge impact on how much a senior is willing to eat.
Work Around Their Schedule
You may eat dinner and lunch at the same time every day but as your loved one gets older they may not want to eat at those times. It is so important to notice when they get hungry, what activities they are doing, and create a routine that works for them. This is something that in-home care can help with especially if you are busy in charge of your kids or family.
If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care Services in Southaven TN, please get in touch with the caring staff at Senior Solutions Home Care. (901) 300-8576
Senior Solutions Home Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Memphis, Germantown, Collierville, Lakeland, Hernando, Olive Branch, Arlington, Atoka, Southaven, Bartlett, Marion, Shelby County, and surrounding areas.
Over the years, we have expanded, providing service in all 95 counties throughout Tennessee, and we now have a growing presence in Georgia.
Senior Solutions is recognized as a top 5% independent agency and a three-time Inc. 5000 honoree in 2018, 2019, and 2020. These types of awards matter to us because they show growth in our goal of eventually touching a million lives. We’re excited to continue that growth and to touch even more families with our commitment to quality care!
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