Changing her approach to food may be something your senior knows she needs to do, but isn’t excited about. You can help her to make the job a lot easier, though.
Don’t Make All the Big Changes at Once
Sometimes when there’s an eating change to be made, people decide to go for it all at once. This can be overwhelming, though, and it sets your elderly family member up for failure. Instead, pick smaller changes and introduce those slowly. Chances are that your aging family member doesn’t have to revamp her way of eating overnight, so don’t push too hard.
Start with a Food Diary
For lots of people, tracking what and when they eat is a revelation. Chances are that it will be for both you and your senior, too. Keep a simple food diary that lists out what she’s eating, when she’s eating it, and what quantities she’s eating. If you use a smaller spiral notebook, it will be easier to carry around with you.
Look for the Foods She Already Likes
You probably have a big, long list of foods that are now forbidden for your elderly family member. It’s much more positive to look for the foods that she can eat that she also likes. When you focus on the foods that she already enjoys, that helps to reduce that feeling of loss or lack that often accompanies a new eating plan.
Make Goals She Can Reach
Starting out with smaller goals which are achievable helps to give your elderly family member some early success. For instance, start out with one healthy meal or snack per day. Once your elderly family member is hitting that goal consistently, you can start to make the goals more challenging.
Take the Work out of Healthy Eating
One big reason that it’s difficult to switch to a new way of eating is often that there’s so much more meal preparation than your aging family member may be used to doing. Take some of that work out of the equation by helping her with meal preparation. If you’re not able to do so, elderly care providers can take over that task and help your senior to adapt more easily to her new menu plan.
Making small changes here and there gives your elderly family member a chance to adapt to the changes that you’re making. Keep her involved in the process and look for ways to make the new eating plan rewarding for her.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Edina, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.