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It's hard to eat well when we're
tired or don't feel well. Arthritis can make it hard to
open food containers or to lift pots and pans. Low salt
and low fat diets don't have the taste and texture of the
comfort foods we've grown up with. If our memory is
unreliable, we might not remember to eat at all. Poor
nutrition is often the result.
Poor nutrition is one of the
biggest health problems of elderly people living at home.
When we improve nutrition we often see improvements in memory,
balance, infections and energy levels.
If you live close enough you
can bring over meals from your house. A lot of caregivers
start out doing this. Then they discover the meals are piling
up, uneaten, in the refrigerator.
Supermarket freezers overflow
with easy-to-fix microwave meals. For the most part they
look pretty tasty and the portion sizes are good, but watch out
for incredibly high sodium (salt) content. They're
expensive, too, and not much fun to eat alone day after day.
You can hire someone to come in
regularly to do a little light housework and prepare meals. This
option works very well for many seniors. You can read more about
this option at
homecare
.
Outside
Programs
Nutrition
programs provide meals, in group setting such as senior centers,
community centers, churches and synagogues. Many offer an
opportunity for socializing and recreation in the morning and
afternoon along with a noon meal. Fees, if they are
charged, are usually very reasonable.
For nutrition
programs in your city or county check with your local community
and senior centers or a local geriatric professional. The Elder
Care Locator at your local
Area
Agency on Aging
may also have information.
Home
Delivered Meals (Meals on Wheels)
"Meals
on Wheels", as these programs are often called, may be an
excellent option for an elder who is not able to get out and who
would benefit from a hot meal. Sometimes an elder will not have
much interest in cooking a meal for one. If a hot meal is
delivered, however, it will usually be eaten.
"Meals
on Wheels" are usually delivered at mid-day during the
week. On Friday some programs will also deliver one or two cold
meals to be saved for the weekend. Many meals on wheels programs
are supported by charitable groups, as well as some government
funds, so costs are kept reasonable. Some use a sliding fee
scale to insure that no hungry senior goes without.
To
find out if home delivered meals would be a good option for you,
check with your local senior center, a geriatric professional,
or your
Area
Agency on Aging
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