It can be concerning if elderly relatives are not eating properly, especially when they forget to eat or don't remember whether or not they have already eaten a meal. Nutritious meals can help maintain the health of seniors and ensure that elderly loved ones have enough energy to get through their day. If you are concerned about your elderly relative not eating enough because they forget to, there are ways to ensure seniors are getting nutritious meals throughout the day.
Reasons Why Elderly Relatives Might Not Remember If They Have Eaten
There can be a variety of reasons why elderly relatives might not remember if they have eaten. These include:
Cognitive Decline
As individuals age, their memory can start to be affected by conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease. This can cause them to forget that they have already had a meal and could leave them feeling hungry when, in reality, they already ate something earlier in the day. It can also cause them to forget that they haven't yet eaten.
Medication Side Effects
Some medications can affect appetite and make it hard for seniors to feel motivated to eat throughout the day, leading them to neglect meals altogether. In many cases, since they do not feel hungry, they may not remember that they haven't eaten.
Poor Appetite
Poor appetite is fairly common among seniors, making it difficult for them to remember when they last had something substantial to eat due to a lack of hunger cues throughout the day.
Solutions for Ensuring Proper Nutrition
Fortunately, there are several ways caregivers can contribute to ensuring that a senior gets adequate nutrition.
Create a Mealtime Routine
Establishing a routine is one of the best ways to ensure seniors are getting nutritious meals throughout the day. Eating at similar times every single day can help them remember when it's time for their next meal, making sure they do not forget something important like eating.
Offer Healthy Snacks Throughout the Day
Offering healthy snacks between meals can be helpful in providing additional nutrients and energy to elderly relatives who may not have much appetite during mealtimes. Doing so may also help them realize when a full-course meal isn't needed. This could prevent them from forgetting that they have already eaten something.
Use App Reminders
Setting reminders on phones, tablets, or computer calendars can also be effective for helping seniors remember when it's time for a meal, snack, or supplement. This could be especially helpful for those with progressive conditions such as dementia, since reminders will still work even if he or she forgets most of what happened during the day.
Log Food in Apps or On a Paper Log
Tracking food intake either through an app or paper log helps provide senior caregivers with an idea of how often elderly loved ones are eating throughout the day and what kind of foods they are consuming each time.
Prepare Meals in Advance
Preparing meals ahead of time can make mealtimes easier by reducing preparation steps while maintaining the nutritional value of each dish. This will give less opportunity to miss any essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins needed daily by elderly adults. Furthermore, having those meals prepared ahead of time can help caregivers track what has been eaten.
Eat a Balanced Diet at Each Meal
Ensuring that seniors eat a balanced diet at each meal can help avoid nutritional gaps if seniors miss meals or snacks throughout the day.
Do You Have a Senior Loved One Who Is Growing Increasingly Forgetful?
As a caregiver, you want to make sure that your loved one is getting plenty of nutrition. Unfortunately, you cannot be there for every meal. Senior Helpers Honolulu-Kahala-Kailua can help. We provide in-home senior care for seniors in Kailua, Waimanalo, Waikiki, Kahala, Aina Haina, Manoa, Hawaii Kai, McCully-Moiliili, and MCBH Kaneohe Bay. Contact us to learn more about how we can help with meal prep, mealtimes, and more.