The adage that you can never be too rich or too thin just isn’t true when it comes to weight (we’re not sure about the rich part of it, but would like to try it). The fact is many elderly individuals begin to lose weight as they age. While in some cases this might be something that can improve their health, if your loved one was already thin most of her life, losing extra weight as she ages can actually become a health concern.
Personal Care at Home
Many elderly individuals lose their appetite as they age and they aren’t active enough for them to burn enough calories to feel hungry. Thus they slowly stop eating very much and risk the possibility of becoming malnourishment. A body that doesn’t have the calories it needs to maintain good health.
As you care for your loved one, or have a personal care at home attendant who helps with your loved one, you’ll want to encourage her to consume more calories throughout her day. Luckily, many times, simply changing parts of her diet is enough to add back in those needed calories without your loved one feeling like she’s being forced to eat additional food that she doesn’t want.
Her personal care at home provider can help with supplementing some of her regular diet with these more calorie-dense foods.
Switch To Whole Milk
Whether cooking with it or drinking it, switching to whole milk instead of skim or 1% can help your loved one increase the calories and fat in her diet. If oatmeal or cereal are a part of her morning routine then changing up the milk used can add some extra calories.
Add Beans and Lentils
Both are high in protein, which can help your senior gain muscle mass. They are also packed full of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients so having a serving a day can add healthy calories.
Switch to High-Protein
Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet and your loved one’s body can use it to make new cells and maintain muscle mass, which in turn, adds to her weight. Look for lean proteins such as fish and poultry. If your personal care at home provider helps with meals, ask for lean proteins to be added to at least one meal a day.
Add Fats, But Not Too Much
If your senior doesn’t have cholesterol issues, increasing the fats in her diet (to a limited extent), can help her increase her calorie intake and perhaps add some weight to her frame. Add butter, oil, and steak to her diet.
Switch To Whole Grain
If your senior isn’t used to whole grains, there can be a bit of adjustment with different textures and flavors so start small and look at adding them to items that can mask the flavor like sauces.
Never shame your loved one for her weight, just slowly increase the calorie count (with the guidance of her doctor) to help her increase her calories.
