Nutrition: Relationship-Based Care

When caring for an older person, it is very important to pay attention to their diet and eating habits. Food can go out of date if the fridge is not monitored. Changes to our taste buds mean that our favourite meals of yesterday are unpalatable today. We may also experience physical challenges with swallowing and have to prepare our meals accordingly. At Senior Care plus our relationship-based care helps us focus on your nutrition.

Therefore good diet planning and monitoring is an essential part of the relationship-based care that I deliver to my clients a Senior Care Plus Caregiver. By spending time getting to know my clients. I get to know exactly how they like their porridge. I will always make sure are eating three meals a day. If I am not with them in the morning, I’ll ask them what they had for breakfast. Always checking to make sure they have the appropriate nutrition for the day.

Serving a variety of food is very important. Sometimes clients need caring encouragement to eat. We prepare healthy nutritious foods such as stews, fish pies, omelettes and homemade soups. We plan our portion sizes which can be easily reheated on days we are not there,

It’s very important to talk to family members to get a sense of the type of food they like, and what they don’t like. It’s important to know how they like their favourite foods cooked. Only when a good relationship-based ethos is adapted can I as a caregiver attend to my client’s nutrition.

A caregiver at Senior Care Plus.

Healthy eating tips for Older Adults

• Eat fruits and vegetables. They can be fresh, frozen or canned. Eat more dark green vegetables such as leafy greens or broccoli, and orange vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes.
• Vary protein choices with more fish, beans and peas.
• Eat at least three ounces of whole-grain cereals, bread, crackers, rice or pasta every day. Choose whole grains whenever possible.
• Have three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy (milk, yoghurt or cheese) that are fortified with vitamin D to help keep your bones healthy.
• Make the fats you eat polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Switch from solid fats to oils when preparing food.

Add Physical Activity

Balancing physical activity and a healthful diet is the best recipe for health and fitness. Set a goal to be physically active at least 30 minutes every day — this even can be broken into three 10-minute sessions throughout the day.

For someone who is currently inactive, it’s a good idea to start with a few minutes of activity, such as walking, and gradually increase this time as they become stronger. And always check with a health-care provider before beginning a new physical activity program.

A  link to the New York Times article 'How to age well'  

A link to 'Eating well as You Age'   

 A link to a Senior Care Plus blog on 'Mobility'