The food we eat and the way we take our meals is highly personal. Healthy aging requires that we eat and drink not only for our physical health, but for our emotional well-being. Senior companions can help with meal planning and preparation to meet the unique needs of each elder we serve.
Many older adults experience a decline in nutrition and hydration for a variety of reasons: dementia (forgetting to eat or drink and to plan meals); physical restrictions making cooking taxing; eating being uncomfortable due to medical conditions; lack of desire to eat due to loneliness; eating convenient foods that are not healthy; dietary restrictions; and inability to shop regularly for fresh food. Poor nutrition and lack of hydration lead to mental, physical and emotional problems that are tough to correct. Poor nutrition and hydration sometimes lead to acute medical care.
Touching Hearts senior caregivers can plan and prepare the kind of healthy, tasty, fresh meals that our clients will enjoy. We can prepare their favorite foods and serve them they way they like it. We can also provide the social component of meals that will increase the likelihood that our clients will partake of proper nutrition and liquids. We can even help keep track of eating and drinking habits when that is important, and report when unhealthy patterns are ocurring.
Activities
- Meal planning, preparation and clean-up
- Monitoring diet and eating
- Record and arrange recipes
- Grocery shopping
- Monitor food expirations
- Eating together as a form of encouragement
Results
- Better nutrition, hydration, overall health
- Enjoyment of meals again
- Avoiding unsafe foods
- Reduced risk related to cooking (e.g. leaving the stove on, falling in the kitchen)
