Home Care: One of the main functions of in-home care is that they will help meal prep for a senior.
However, they are not nutritionists. They will need to learn what a senior can and cannot eat from their doctors and understand what foods may cause a reaction to a senior’s medications. This information may be too much for a senior to remember, so a home care specialist is a good idea for those who need to follow a specific diet.
You may have heard of Keto, Atkins, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, and more types of diets. Just because they are trending in different communities does not make them healthy, especially for older adults. In-home care assistants should figure out what a senior should avoid from their doctors and then base a meal plan based on their research and food preferences.
A doctor may diagnose a senior with diabetes, hypothyroidism, cancer, or other diseases that diet can affect negatively or positively. An in-home care provider can ask the doctor questions to develop a diet plan or even help the senior hire a nutritionist who can teach the caregiver how to prepare healthy meals.
What Is The Best Diet for Seniors?
Even if a senior has no health concerns, eating a well-balanced diet is necessary to maintain optimal health. Too much packaged food can lead to excessive weight gain that will cause health problems. Unfortunately, as someone ages, they may cook less for various reasons and turn toward frozen meals. This is when in-home care comes in handy because they can help with the cooking and even prepare meals the senior can stick in the microwave on nights they are not on duty. Here are some diets for seniors that will work well with their changing bodies.
The Dash Diet
Dash stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This plan focuses on limiting sodium, sugar and eating a balanced diet. It also emphasizes portion control which can be huge for a healthy senior. As your body ages, the metabolism slows down, which means you don’t process foods as fast as when you were young. Portion control is even more important for seniors than they may realize. This is designed to keep blood pressure at a good range and is great for people over the age of 60. If a senior has a hard time remembering what the diet consists of, that is when an in-home care provider can be a huge help.
The Mediterranean Diet
This diet encourages eating a variety of healthy fats, fish, and whole grains. On this diet, a senior will eat tons of fresh vegetables, legumes, and nuts. It is one of the best diets to follow that is healthy and the least restrictive. This diet can be perfect for anyone over the age of 65. It can help reduce inflammation, focus on well-rounded eating, and lower cholesterol levels. This diet should not be overlooked by in-home care assistants.
You may be wondering why the Keto diet is not on this list when it has been the highlight of the health community. It can have many great positive impacts, but there are a few reasons a senior may want to avoid it. The first stage often involves flu-like symptoms from ketosis; this may be really uncomfortable for a senior. However, as someone ages, they actually need more protein to keep the muscle mass up. Limiting this protein amount through counting macros can be too constrictive for seniors. Home care service providers can be a great help with this.
For more information about hiring Home Care in San Diego, CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.
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Today we are the oldest and most experienced private duty agency in San Diego County.She saw a need for quality private duty home health care and she worked diligently to build an agency that filled that need.I am proud to say, her vision is carried on today with our dedicated staff.
I believe our tenure in the community speaks well for us.We have had the opportunity to be of service to countless interesting individuals, including local and worldwide celebrities.It is the people we care for that makes this a fascinating industry.Whether high profile or a more ordinary citizen, we are proud that thousands have entrusted us with their care or the care of their loved ones.Our Mission is to provide high quality, very secure and the most compassionate home health care.We believe that patients heal faster and are happiest when they can stay in their homes.”
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