As your senior ages, she may be starting to find that her previous eating habits just don’t support her current health needs. Having help from in-home care services to cook and to make sure that she has the right foods available is a good start.

Here are some of these small changes that you and their in-home care aides can use to help them.

Reducing Salt Intake

In-Home Care Merced CA – In-Home Care: How Small Dietary Changes Make a Difference for Your Senior

If your senior’s doctor has told her that she needs to reduce her salt intake, she’s not alone. That’s a common dietary change, and it’s easier than she might think. First, just choosing to eat fewer processed foods can do so much to bring down her salt intake. Next, seasoning foods with spices and herbs beyond salt adds lots of flavor.

Increasing Fiber Intake

Fiber helps with regularity, but lots of people don’t realize that it helps with other health issues, too. Getting enough fiber in her diet can help your senior to manage her blood sugar levels more easily. Fiber can also help her to feel full longer, which might mean that she’s eating more nutrient dense foods and skipping snacks with empty calories.

Increasing Protein Intake

Protein helps your elderly family member to maintain the muscles that she has and rebuild them if she needs to. Without plenty of protein, your senior is also likely to have problems keeping her immune system running as well as it needs to in order to keep her healthy. Leaning on protein during meals and snacks can also help with blood sugar issues.

Improving Hydration

Most people don’t drink enough fluids, but maintaining proper hydration helps your senior’s brain and body to work well. Talk with your senior’s doctor about how much water she should be drinking, and start aiming for that level of hydration. Starting out with at least one extra glass a day now and ramping up to more water over time helps her to gradually build the habit of drinking more water. It’s also helpful to add foods that are hydrating to her normal diet.

Remember that cooking does take a lot of energy that your elderly family member might not have at the moment. In-home care providers can help a lot with all of the details involved in getting meals on the table. In-home care providers also can offer companionship while your elderly family member is eating, which can motivate her to be more likely to sit down and eat a full meal.

If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care Services in Merced CA, please contact the caring staff at Everlight Home Care today. Call us at 559-353-2847.

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Gina Kendall

Gina Kendall has over 25 years of work experience serving the aging and the disabled. Her extensive experience in care and management began as a Social Services Coordinator in skilled nursing facilities. While working in this capacity, she became aware of the need for, and the importance of, good, quality, home care. Gina worked with families to keep their loved ones home and avoid a return visit to the hospital. As she continued her career of service, she began working with the disabled population helping to expand and improve their independence throughout all aspects of life.

This combination of experiences has afforded Gina a unique view of the needs of the aging and the disabled and how to best serve those needs in a home setting.

Gina’s Central Valley roots run deep. She earned her BA degree from Fresno State in 1993 and has lived and worked in Fresno for the past 20 years. In addition to raising her family in Fresno, she is actively involved in her local church and is a volunteer for various local community organizations.

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