Managing Dietary Restrictions For Elders On A Day To Day Basis

A well-balanced diet is an integral aspect of remaining healthy during the golden years. Proper nutrition and diet help maintain healthy weight and energy levels. Being healthy and happy lowers the risk of chronic diseases. As one ages, malnutrition due to a variety of factors can cause weak muscles and bones as well as a greater risk of being either overweight or underweight. Making sure that our seniors are eating right is an important aspect of caring for them.

The body goes into a degenerative mode with a slow growth rate of cells as one age but tissue repair is at its peak. It is a known factor that the body’s requirement of vitamins, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates, proteins, etc undergoes a lot of change with age. There is a need to make sure that all these nutrients are made available to the elderly person in an easy to consume and digest form. Various issues associated with old age such as low immunity power, poor digestion, general fatigue and bone weakness can be managed to quite an extent by carefully managing the diet.

As caregivers, managing dietary restriction can be quite challenging. However, with a little bit of innovation as well as a lot of patience and love, it is possible to manage it. Here are a few tips to help ease the process:

1. The first and most important aspect is to make a list of what all food has to be avoided and then actively doing away with it.
2. With many diseases and related restrictions, often many good food types have to be restricted. While this leads to resentment, often substituting it in one form or other works. Also, you can make provisions for a cheat day and make it available in small quantities.
3. Focus on food types that include the maximum amount of nutrients. Food groups such as the different varieties of gourds are packed with essential nutrients and are also easy on the stomach. These are often left off the menu as they are not tasty.
4. Spread meals throughout the day in small portions. This ensures that the seniors eat even the food items that they do not prefer as it is in small quantity. Spacing over the day helps them to feel light and eliminates the chances of overeating during meal time.
5. Include enough fiber in the daily meals to keep constipation at bay. It is also important to make sure that elders keep themselves hydrated. You can include different types of fresh juice along with meals. Also, keep track of their water intake.

Different food types to be included:

• Include fresh fruits and vegetables. Include more dark green vegetables such as leafy greens or broccoli as well as orange vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes in the daily schedule.
• Proteins are important for the body to repair itself. So make sure to include a variety of protein in the form of fish, beans and peas. Red meat is hard to digest and so not recommended for elderly persons.
• Include whole-grain cereals, bread, crackers, rice or pasta for the daily dose of carbohydrates and fiber.
• Include low-fat or fat-free dairy products such as milk, yogurt or cheese in the daily diet. These are essential sources of calcium that is required to keep bones healthy.
• Use healthy oils such as olive oil while preparing food. You can also include small amounts of healthy fat in the diet.

It is important to consult a doctor in case of unintentional weight loss or loss of appetite. It is important to check and manage the oral hygiene of an elderly person. Mouth sores, dental issues and pain can prompt them to give up food, which can have cascading impact. Making sure that our seniors get a daily dose of nutritional food and enough water intake to keep themselves hydrated is important. These results in happy and content seniors, who can further focus on enjoying their golden years.

Luxurious retirement homes provide personalized services to the residents. One of the services offered is daily meals according to dietary restrictions. Elders do not have to take an effort and cook- when they do not feel like it instead they can subscribe to daily meals. Nutritional and wholesome meals are provided from the community kitchen. This ensures more time with the elders to pursue their hobby. Primus Reflection on Kanakapura road are an example, that offers such resort-like hospitality and relaxing space for happy retirement years.