Eating is a huge concern for your elderly family member. It provides fuel and nutrients for her body and if she’s not eating the way that she should be, her body and her quality of life can suffer.
She Can’t See Well
When your senior can’t see what she’s about to eat, that can take a bit of the enjoyment away from eating for her. She also might find that she’s more nervous about eating if she can’t see well. Many people don’t want to embarrass themselves because they’ve dropped food or not noticed something about their food or their plate.
She’s Unable to Smell or Taste the Food
Eating isn’t as much fun when it doesn’t smell or taste the way that your senior expects it to. She might not experience food the same way that she has in the past, particularly some of her favorite dishes. As a result, it feels like there’s not much of a reason to eat at all.
Her Medications Are Affecting Her Appetite
Medications can affect how food smells and tastes to your aging adult. Those same medications can have side effects that restrict your senior’s appetite. Some medications might even cause nausea or odd tastes when she eats or drinks. For some aging adults, those side effects might become more severe the longer they take those medications.
Her Digestion Is Slowing Down
Your elderly family member might find that her digestive system doesn’t work the way that it has in the past. She might find that she’s constipated more than she used to be or that she feels full all the time, even if she hasn’t eaten in a while. Your senior’s doctor can help her with some of these issues, but the key is to know that she’s experiencing problems.
The Practicalities of Cooking and Eating
It takes a lot more energy than you might realize to cook and to eat, especially for your aging adult. She might not feel like going through the effort if it’s just for her. Finding solutions to that situation can help so much. You might want to hire home care providers who can help with cooking to take over those duties for your senior.
Once you have a handle on why your elderly family member isn’t eating the way that she should you can start to put solutions in place. Make sure that you work with your senior’s doctor to get the best results possible for her.