Has your elderly loved one eaten today? As we get older, our sense of taste and smell can decrease, which affects how well we eat. It’s critical to assess elderly hunger and malnutrition to prevent the elderly from going hungry. Helpful places like an adult day care and hospitals thrive to prevent elderly malnutrition by providing them with healthy daily meals.
Tackling Elderly Hunger and Malnutrition
If you’re a caregiver struggling to get your elderly loved one the proper nutrition, have no fear—we’re here to help. Most elderly care centers offer hot, healthy meals to their elderly patrons to ensure they are receiving the nutrition they need.
Notice the sensory changes
As our elderly loved ones age, some of their senses decrease and can affect their appetite. The effects of aging on nutrition is one of the primary concerns of elderly hunger and malnutrition. Here are a couple of changes associated with aging and nutrition:
- Decreased sense of taste and smell reduces the individual’s appetite
- Altered energy due to their diet lacking essential nutrients
- Oral health and dental problems making it difficult for them to chew their food properly
- Isolation and psychosocial effects cause a decreased appetite
Dementia is also a big factor for elderly malnutrition due to the brain health and not having cognitive recognition of food.
Help is always there
We understand as a caregiver, you’re trying your best to get your elderly loved one the nutrition they need. Luckily, there’s always help when you need it. As mentioned before, adult day care often offers services like daily hot meals to help give the elderly the nutrition they need.
The adult day cares also help you to find the right food choices for your loved one and foods you can try with them to expose them to more foods slowly. The more healthy food they are aware of, the further they will be from elderly hunger and malnutrition.
Putting a Stop to Elderly Malnutrition
Our elderly care patients never go hungry, as we prepare and provide them with healthy and hot meals every day they attend. We ensure they get all the nutrients they need to stay strong and cognitive. Our hot meals are just one of our many elderly services we provide at Nevada Adult Day Healthcare Centers. Visit us today to see our services in action!
