Hidden Hunger—Is Your Senior Loved One at Risk for Nutritional Deficiencies?

In our community, we often don’t consider that lack of adequate nutrition could be a problem for many of our citizens. If we do, we attribute it to the homeless or those living in poverty. However, many of our seniors also face this challenge daily, often silently, and without their loved ones ever knowing about the problem. Inadequate nutrition strikes seniors at every age and socioeconomic level, and your family needs to be aware that nutrition for elderly is important to understand as deficiencies could be happening to your parent or loved one this very minute.

Why Are Seniors at Risk for Poor Nutrition?

This situation has many unique causes but here are some of the common scenarios that cause nutritional deficiency in seniors:

• Reduced mobility—As seniors find driving or securing transportation more difficult, their opportunities to purchase groceries and prepare nutritious meals likewise decreases, changing the capacity for nutrition for elderly. For some, this loss of independence is a source of shame, and they will not express to others that they are unable to meet their own self-care needs. Additionally, as we’ve discussed in previous blogs, they sometimes feel that meal preparation is not worth the effort for themselves, and they’ll rely on convenience foods or go without.

• Struggles with dietary restrictions—Many seniors face later-in-life diagnoses like diabetes, which require drastic changes in their diets. This alters the nutrition for elderly and the dietary needs they have. Just imagine, for a moment, how difficult it would be for you to be forced onto a very restrictive diet. The senior in your life likewise faces the challenge of breaking a lifetime of eating habits. Seniors who are non-compliant or semi-compliant with their recommended dietary restrictions often struggle with getting adequate nutrition.

• Alzheimer’s or dementia symptoms—This population genuinely faces grave nutritional challenges. They may not remember to eat regularly or healthily, changing the dynamics for nutrition for elderly. They may believe they’ve already eaten when they haven’t, or can’t keep up with medications. Proper nutrition needs to be a primary concern when crafting a care plan for these patients.

How Can BlueSea Care Help?

We believe that, to prevent nutritional decencies in seniors, we need to promote awareness and vigilance through education and outreach. As part of our comprehensive care and case management plans, our team collaborates with our clients’ physicians to identify any special dietary needs and challenges. Depending on the circumstances, we then provide dietary services delivered in collaboration with a CA certified and registered dietician to assist with nutrition for elderly.

While each care plan is unique to our clients, we aim to provide as little or as much assistance as our clients and their families need in order to ensure total wellness. We believe that, through conscious collaboration, we can help preserve our clients’ health and promote amazing quality of life.