pouring orange juice for senior

Your elderly loved one has been placed on a restrictive diet for health reasons but is struggling to adhere to the new restrictions and/or requirements. It could be that your loved one has medications that cannot be taken with certain food or she had to have a complete diet overhaul to help her with a disease that she’s recently been diagnosed with. Either way, altering a diet that someone has had their entire life can be hard. It can feel frustrating to caregivers who see their loved ones continuing to eat or drink items that they shouldn’t.

Your loved one might not be ignoring her doctor’s orders when it comes to her diet. Instead, she could be feeling overwhelmed by all of the changes or doesn’t know how to make the needed changes. There are steps that you can take to help her successfully alter her diet, and how 24-hour home care can help.

Clean house. Take a morning to go through all of your loved one’s cupboards, refrigerators, and freezers to eliminate all food that should no longer be in the home. It could be tough for your loved one to watch all that food get taken away when she has already purchased it. Consider donating as much as you can so that it can still be used by someone.
Go shopping together. The next step is to restock her pantry with items that are approved for her new dietary guidelines. If you’re not clear on what she can and cannot have, talk with her doctor to find out what she can have. You might also ask if there is a nutritionist that can consult with you and your loved one to help you fill in any gaps that need.
Help her prepare her meals and snacks. If your loved one doesn’t live with you, this might be a near-impossible task for you to take on as a caregiver. One option is to have a 24-hour home care team for your loved one. This team of individuals will be at the house 24 hours a day and can help with all meal prep and food choices. A 24-hour home care team can support your loved one through this transition with guidance and positive feedback. A 24-hour home care provider team can also help relieve you from worrying about your loved one staying on track.
Adjust her social schedule. For some people, food is the center of their social life. They eat out at restaurants with loved ones, attend food festivals, and visit the local bakery every Saturday morning. If any of these activities are going to make it difficult for your loved one to stay on track with her new diet, then she might need a little help finding new activities to participate in that will still provide the important social interactions she needs but don’t make food the central part of it. Help her find new activities that keep her far away from temptation.
Finally, depending on the doctor’s orders, she might be able to occasionally enjoy something she loves. Working with her 24-hour home care team helps make that a reality while also not letting it start a slippery slope back into eating or drinking those off-limit items regularly.

If you or an aging loved one are considering 24-hour home care in Clarcona, FL, please contact the caring staff at Homewatch CareGivers of Dr. Phillips today! (407) 214-2065

Homewatch CareGivers of Dr. Phillips provides exceptional home care for seniors in Clarcona , Pine Hills, Florida Center North, Hiawassee, Lake Buena Vista, Metro West, Dr.Phillps, Windermere, Meadow Woods, Lake Nona, Hunters Creek, Buenaventura Lake, Kissimmee, St. Cloud and surrounding areas.