HOME CARE IN EDEN PRAIRIE MN

There are many ways that a home care provider can help your parent to maintain a greater level of independence in her later years. One is helping her with grocery shopping. Heading to the grocery store to stock up your kitchen may be an activity that you take for granted, but for your parent it can be an essential part of feeling like she still has control over her own life. Not being able to do her own grocery shopping can leave your parent feeling helpless, disconnected, and at the mercy of another person. For an adult who is accustomed to taking care of herself, this can be truly uncomfortable. An in home health care services provider, however, can step in and offer meaningful assistance that keep this activity within your parent’s ability.

Some ways that an in home health care services provider can help your parent be more independent through grocery shopping include:

• Making a list. Putting together a grocery list can be daunting for a senior, particularly one who has cognitive challenges. The care provider can help her to go through the kitchen and figure out which items that she needs. This can include checking for the staples that she always has in her kitchen to determine if she needs more, or planning meals for the week and listing what she needs for those dishes.

• Monitoring dietary guidelines. If your parent has dietary restrictions due to a medical condition, it is important that she sticks to these in order to protect her health and wellbeing. The care provider can help her to go over the items that she has on her list to determine if they are appropriate for those guidelines. She can also make recommendations for other foods that might be good choices for keeping her healthy. Once they are at the store, the care provider can continue to offer recommendations and review for different items to help your parent make good choices for stocking her kitchen.

• Mobility assistance. If your parent struggles with mobility, she might be nervous about going to the grocery store. The care provider can offer her assistance to get out of the home and into the vehicle safely, and then around the store comfortably. This may include helping her with the use of a mobility aid such as a wheelchair, walker, or scooter. While shopping, she can also address your parent’s mobility, balance, or range of motion limitations by reaching for items, picking up larger items, and helping push the cart.

• Arranging groceries. Once your parent gets home from the store, the in home health care services provider can help your parent arrange the groceries that she has just purchased. This can include keeping the kitchen organized, replacing expired food with fresh versions, and making sure that the items that your parent uses most frequently are easily accessible. She can also help her with tasks such as washing and chopping produce or dividing bulk packages of meat so that she can preserve some in the freezer.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Eden Prairie, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.