Nutritional Needs in the Elderly 

The Nutritional Needs of the Elderly: Knowing What the Right Foods Are for Aging Parents

It’s not enough to provide your aging parents with the best medical treatments and shower them with love and affection. If you really care about their health, you need to be firm about what they can and cannot eat. Prepare yourself for daily battles though; as people get older, they tend to become more stubborn, irritable, and taciturn and your parents would surely never give up their favorite fast food meals and deliciously fatty steaks without a fight! 

Malnourishment Has an Invisible Presence 

That’s something you have to understand early on. Even though your parents still seem to be enjoying the peak of health, and have a fun and active lifestyle, there’s a good chance that they’re malnourished if they’re eating the wrong food. To know whether your parents are malnourished or not, schedule them for an appointment with their personal physician or a nutritionist. It’s time for your folks to face the music! 

Possible Causes of Malnutrition 

There are several reasons why your parents may arrive at a state of malnutrition and some of the most common reasons have been listed below: 

Alcoholism, Smoking and Drugs – If your parents are guilty of indulging any of these hazardous vices, know that these greatly contribute to the state of malnutrition that your parents find themselves in right now. 

Depression – A lot of people find it difficult to adjust with their increasing age, an attitude which consequently makes them lose their appetite. Also, elderly individuals who feel they’ve been abandoned by their loved ones commonly suffer from similar effects. 

Medication – Taking too much medication, especially without the advice and permission from a physician, can also make an aging individual malnourished. 

Special Dietary Needs 

Besides the basic nutritional needs of the elderly, your parents may be required to adhere to other dietary restrictions if they’re diagnosed as suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, or other similarly dangerous conditions. Again, a trip to the hospital would easily reveal the truth about your parents’ health. 

Basic Nutritional Needs of Elderly Individuals 

Fat – This particular food group has never been good for any age group, much less for those past their prime. If, however, an individual is over 75, or is suffering from weight loss or lack of appetite, including fat in the person’s diet will actually be beneficial as it contributes to weight gain. 

Fiber – A high fiber diet will prevent elderly individuals from suffering bowel problems. Cereal foods, fruits – especially bananas – and vegetables are just some examples of food containing high fiber content. As it is with anything, sticking to a diet that’s especially high in fiber is not good for the health.  So make sure that your parents balance the effect of fiber to their bodies by encouraging them to drink more water than usual. 

Sugar – Naturally, everything sweet is forbidden to elderly diabetic individuals. For the rest, eating a moderate amount of sugar is acceptable, more so if the person is in need of gaining weight. 

Iron – As people grow older, iron deficiency becomes a more common factor. To prevent your parents from suffering from iron deficiency and consequently, anemia, make sure that they eat food high in iron like red meat, dried fruit, and green vegetables. Iron intake will also produce more benefits if it’s accompanied with an increased consumption of vitamin C. 

Calcium – Many advertisements nowadays emphasize the need of preventing bones from getting brittle as you get old. You do this by increasing your intake of calcium. Calcium can be found in milk and other dairy foods. Be sure to choose a milk product that’s specially formulated for elderly individuals. 

Zinc – Although not as popular as other minerals, zinc actually plays a significant role in an elderly individual’s diet. Zinc makes wounds heal faster, something that people with diabetes would especially welcome. This mineral can be found in meat, whole meal bread, and shellfish. 

Other Tips for Aging Parents to Remain Healthy

Exercise is always the partner of diet; make sure that your parents exercise regularly, even if you have to force them to do so. 

If your parents are suffering from loss of appetite, let them indulge once in a while with a glass or two of alcohol as it’s very good at stimulating one’s desire for food. Remember however that moderation is the key to healthiness!

>>> Table of Contents

Eldercare News:

MSN

Warning: require_once(/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/a-childs-guide-to-eldercare/rssfeed-msn-5-eldercare.php on line 10

Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/a-childs-guide-to-eldercare/rssfeed-msn-5-eldercare.php on line 10

Google

Warning: require_once(/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/a-childs-guide-to-eldercare/rssfeed-google-5-eldercare.php on line 10

Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/a-childs-guide-to-eldercare/rssfeed-google-5-eldercare.php on line 10

Yahoo!

Warning: require_once(/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php) [function.require-once]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/a-childs-guide-to-eldercare/rssfeed-yahoo-5-eldercare.php on line 5

Fatal error: require_once() [function.require]: Failed opening required '/home/amhpages/public_html/rss/carp/carp.php' (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/melissa/public_html/healthypages/ebooks/a-childs-guide-to-eldercare/rssfeed-yahoo-5-eldercare.php on line 5