Some Important Nutrition Tips For Elders

As caretakers we have to make sure that our elders take a balanced diet that consists of a variety of fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains that are needed for overall health. Besides a balanced diet gerontologists or senior care doctors feel there are other specific things that attention is to be paid to.  

Gerontologists or elder care doctors advice caretakers to give elders a diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acids at least twice a week; these fatty acids are found in many types of fish and flaxseed and flaxseed oil. Omega 3 fatty acids reduce inflammation that causes arthritis, cancer and heart disease; in the absence of Omega 3 fatty foods, caregivers like us could ask the doctor to prescribe an Omega 3 supplement.

Next elders require calcium and vitamin D that helps preserve their bone health and lower blood pressure; elders need to take 1200 milligrams per day of the nutrient that equals 4 cups of milk. This could be very difficult in the case of many elders and could be made good by prescription of a suitable calcium supplement.

It is very important that we as caregivers make sure that our elders drink enough water; most elders feel less thirsty as they age and so may not realize that they have to drink a glass of water. The urine of the elder is the best indicator of being hydrated or not; clear and light urine indicates proper hydration, while a dark and cloudy one indicates the elder needs to drink more liquids.

Next and most important it is necessary for caregivers like us to reduce the elder’s intake of sodium; this is all the more important for elders that suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure. Being a smart caregiver would mean avoiding or restricting frozen, processed or restaurant food that is high in sodium and instead including more fruits and vegetables that are low in sodium in the elder’s diet.

Dietary changes may be very difficult for elders to make as they get stuck in their habits. However these changes for the well being and health of our elders can be made in 3 ways.  

1) Make small changes in the diet and incorporate new foods gradually; if the elder is a diabetic, slowly adjust his/her carbohydrate intake by incorporating oatmeal once or twice a week at breakfast and giving it more often when the elder gets used to it. The same applies for substituting wheat bread or multigrain bread that is healthy for white bread. 

2) Making changes in your elder’s diet becomes easier when you cook the same meal for the whole family, so that the elder does not feel singled out. As you sit together and have the same meal together dietary changes would become easier than drastic.

3) Some elders especially those with dementia refuse to make the necessary nutritional changes; it pays to be creative and give essential nutrients to elders in the form of smoothies. An elder needing more protein could be given a smoothie made with wheat germ that has high protein content and does not interfere with his medications.

Are you confident of looking after the nutrition needs of your elder?  

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