Your senior parent may be malnourished, and you may not even know it. According to medical research, more than 70% of seniors are chronically malnourished, even if they are eating regularly. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies can cause serious health problems for seniors. Being malnourished can increase a senior’s risk of heart attack and stroke. It can also make them more likely to suffer from attacks of dizziness, which can cause falls. Companion care at home services are a great option to help your senior eat better.

There are many reasons why seniors become malnourished even if they are eating. Some of the most common reasons are:

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  Companion Care at Home Clovis CA – Ways To Make Meals Easier For Your Senior Parent

  They aren’t eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables

• They are eating too many processed grains
• Shopping is too difficult so they subsist on canned foods or soups
• They don’t have a lot of appetite due to poor health or the side effects of medication
• Cooking is difficult for them
• They don’t want to cook meals for just themselves

If you’re worried that your senior parent isn’t eating enough or isn’t eating healthy food there are some things you can do to help them like:

Get Companion Care at Home

A companion care at home provider can help your senior parent cook meals, shop for healthy foods, and make sure the house has plenty of fresh and frozen vegetables for your senior parent to enjoy. A companion care at home provider can also cook, prep, and freeze healthy meals that your senior can heat in the microwave so they always have healthy meals ready to go when they’re hungry.

Use Grocery Delivery

Most grocery stores now offer home delivery of groceries for a very small fee. Your senior parent can pick out the items they want on a website or through an app on their phone. A delivery person will shop for those items and deliver them right to your senior parent’s door. Or, you can pick them up and deliver them themselves if that’s easier.

Get A Meal Delivery Service

Another option is to sign up for a meal kit delivery service. Your senior parent can choose the meals they want each week and all the ingredients for those meals will be shipped right to their door. This is a great way to encourage your senior to eat proper meals that are too difficult for them to cook. Meal delivery services offer a range of special diets like low-carb, gluten-free, and vegetarian.

Sign Up For A Local CSA Box

CSA boxes make it easier for your senior parent to enjoy the freshest local vegetables, fruits, and meats. Local farmers assemble boxes of seasonal fruits and vegetables that are delivered to your senior loved one once or twice per week. Some farmers offer freshly butchered meats in their CSA boxes too like bacon or chicken.

Have Family Dinner Nights

Did you have a family dinner night as a child? Bring back the tradition by joining your senior parent for at least one family dinner per week. It will thrill your senior parent to have dinner with you and your family. And you will be able to make sure that your senior parent is eating the right amount of healthy food.

Sources: https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/what-to-know-about-malnutrition-in-older-adults
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)02612-5/abstract

If you or an aging loved one are considering Companion Care at Home Services in Clovis CA, please get in touch with the caring staff at Everlight Home Care today. Call us at 559-353-2847.

Private Duty Home Care in Fresno, Madera, Kern Counties, and surrounding communities. Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Gina Kendall

Gina Kendall has over 25 years of work experience serving the aging and the disabled. Her extensive experience in care and management began as a Social Services Coordinator in skilled nursing facilities. While working in this capacity, she became aware of the need for, and the importance of, good, quality, home care. Gina worked with families to keep their loved ones home and avoid a return visit to the hospital. As she continued her career of service, she began working with the disabled population helping to expand and improve their independence throughout all aspects of life.

This combination of experiences has afforded Gina a unique view of the needs of the aging and the disabled and how to best serve those needs in a home setting.

Gina’s Central Valley roots run deep. She earned her BA degree from Fresno State in 1993 and has lived and worked in Fresno for the past 20 years. In addition to raising her family in Fresno, she is actively involved in her local church and is a volunteer for various local community organizations.

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