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Elderly can Face Many Challenges
in the Kitchen
The Tribune
September 30, 2004
It had been four months since the 77-year-old man's wife had died. She had loved to cook, preparing well-balanced meals each day.
"It's not mom's food I miss so much," the elderly man told his daughter, who lives several hundred miles away. "The worst part is eating alone."
Whether it's a lack of companionship or an inability to shop for and prepare appropriate foods, eating nutritiously can be a challenge for elderly singles as well as couples.
Jason Medick, owner and operator of Home Instead Senior Care, said often the elderly aren't physically capable of preparing meals anymore or they've lost their appetite because of illness or depression.
"That's why we help them prepare and serve their food in various appetizing ways, and join them for meals," he said. "Our caregivers can help ensure that they're eating nutritiously and enjoying mealtime."
Even the healthiest of seniors face unique needs for a variety of medical reasons, according to Alice H. Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition and a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.
"The elderly have lower metabolic rates, lower proportions of lean muscle to fat mass and, in many cases, lower activity rates," Lichtenstein said.
Thus the elderly have lower caloric needs but not lower nutritional needs. Several years ago, Lichtenstein and two colleagues developed a food pyramid for healthy people over 70 years old. The pyramid is narrower than the traditional pyramid to reflect the reduced energy intake common among seniors.
The guide stresses the importance of the types of foods selected by seniors. For example, bananas and apples are good choices for the elderly, but peaches and apricots are even better because of the amount of Vitamin A in these fruits. Likewise, romaine lettuce is a better choice than iceberg lettuce because it is richer in nutrients.
Home Instead Senior Care has teamed with Reiman Publications in Greendale, Wis., publishers of "Taste of Home" and Taste of Home's "Quick Cooking" magazines to adapt a variety of simple, nutritious recipes that are ideal for seniors. These tips are part of the ongoing training program for Home Instead Senior Care providers.
Helping seniors prepare meals is not the only food-related service that Home Instead Senior Care provides.
"Companionship also is a necessary, often overlooked, part of a healthy lifestyle," Medick said.
To supplement his weekday lunches at a senior center for the elderly man mentioned earlier, a Home Instead caregiver helps him prepare his evening and weekend meals and joins him in eating those meals.
"Companionship makes mealtimes so much more enjoyable for seniors," Medick said.
"By the year 2010, 12 million U.S. seniors will be living alone," Medick said. "Preparing nutritious meals will continue to be important issues for these elderly, and the millions of family caregivers who care about them."
Cooking tips
Jason Medick, co-owner of Home Instead Senior Care, provided the following food tips for the elderly:
¨ Select foods that are rich in nutrients such as peaches, apricots, romaine lettuce; whole or fortified grains that are high in fiber; and other foods that are low in saturated fats such as fish and poultry without skin.
¨ For a complete listing of food recommendations in the Tufts pyramid, log on to www.nutrition.tufts.edu/publications/pyramid.shtml. Tufts University's food pyramid also recommends the food supplements calcium, Vitamins D and B-12 for the elderly.
¨ Choose simple recipes with six or fewer ingredients.
¨ Check the house for the ingredients needed. Then, make a list. Buy only the amount of items needed until the next trip to the store.
¨ If there are leftovers, store them in separate dishes with labels and dates.
¨ Consume eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day to prevent dehydration and constipation.
¨ Vary the color and texture of food to make meals more appetizing.
¨ If food is difficult to chew, try different preparation techniques. For instance, prepare grated or canned carrots instead of carrot sticks.
¨ Serve small portions.
¨ Share the meal with a friend, neighbor, family or private caregiver.
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