Elderly adults often have specific concerns related to eating. With a little planning and consideration, it shouldn't be difficult to manage their dietary needs, however. Ask the elderly person's physician how many calories she should consume each day and what types of foods she should avoid, if any.
Physical Eating Difficulties
Older adults may have difficulty chewing food. The cause for this should be explored, beginning at the dentist's office. Dentures may be ill-fitting or original teeth may be loose. Soft foods should be prepared if the senior remains unable to chew. If he often chokes while swallowing, ask the physician if a swallowing assessment would be beneficial. Some adults are prescribed a thickening powder that is added to liquids, making choking less likely. A dry mouth can also cause problems. To combat this, serve moist foods such as puddings, soups and damp rice. Add milk or gravy to dry meats, vegetables and breads if needed.
Loss of Appetite
Occasionally, an elderly adult loses her appetite, leading to weight loss and malnutrition. Common causes include dementia, depression, medication, lack of physical activity and gastrointestinal difficulties. If dementia is the cause, the senior may need to be reminded to eat and assisted with meal preparation. Depression should be treated with medication or counseling. Gastrointestinal difficulties should be evaluated for possible cures or necessary dietary modifications. It may be helpful to offer foods the elderly adult normally likes to eat as a way to stimulate appetite. Some adults lose their appetites as their senses of taste and smell diminish. This can be lessened by seasoning foods more strongly and allowing the senior to smell the food as it is being prepared.
Lack of Money or Access to Food
According to the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, some senior citizens fail to eat properly due to financial problems. This can often be overcome by careful shopping at stores that offer reduced-cost food. Beans, canned vegetables, fresh fruits, peanut butter, tuna and powdered milk may help stretch the food budget while delivering needed nutrition. The federal food stamp program, now called the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and charitable programs may offer financial assistance toward meeting food needs. Some elderly adults have poor access to food due to not being able to drive to the supermarket. This can be remedied through the assistance of Meals on Wheels, social programs, family or friends.
Medicine Interactions
Most older adults take at least one prescription medication, which may occasionally have an undesirable interaction with certain foods. Make sure the senior understands which foods cannot be eaten with which medications and how to schedule his meals with his medicine intake. A physician, pharmacist or nurse can be of assistance in learning about food-drug interactions. Grapefruit juice, milk, leafy greens, caffeine and fiber are common culprits, but a large number of foods have the potential to interact negatively with medications.
