.png)
1st Area: Health –
- Alanthea Clarkson
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Intro:
In our last blog, I highlighted the 8 areas of life that, when met, directly and positively impact everything! This includes the lives and relationships between your aging loved one and their family –especially with their family caregiver.
We all want the same things –to love and support our aging loved ones so they feel good, know they are valued and remain safe.
In this series, I will take the time to go through each of the 8 areas of life in detail so you can learn and apply ideas for your situation and circumstances.
Today, we discuss the 1st area of life – Health.
Because Health is such a broad topic, I will focus on only one aspect to educate and to inspire a way of thinking that you can apply to other Health related challenges. The one aspect within the subject of Health is when your aging loved one is not eating well and/or not drinking (enough).
Over the next while and in many different ways, we will bring you ideas, tips, stories and suggestions to try, for you and your aging loved one to reduce struggles around Healthy eating and hydration and meet the needs of the 1st Area of Life.
Statistics Worth Knowing
Over the 15 years we have been in business, there have been a number of families reach out to A Friend Indeed with concerns about their aging loved one’s challenges with eating. Whether it is needing additional one-on-one support during meals at a care facility or accessing healthy meals and snacks at home, healthy eating can have obstacles. Without good food (and enough daily hydration), the risks and the struggles increase. A Friend Indeed helps remove or minimize obstacles so that the aging loved one can gain access to and enjoy nutritious food daily.
Over the 15 years we have been in business, there have been a number of families reach out to A Friend Indeed with concerns about their aging loved one’s challenges with eating while living alone. Whether it is because they can’t be bothered to cook or there are some safety concerns in the kitchen, healthy eating can have obstacles. Without good food (and enough daily hydration), the risks and the struggles increase. A Friend Indeed helps remove or minimize obstacles so that the aging loved one can gain access to and enjoy nutritious food daily.
A Story Worth Telling
I remember a gentleman I visited several years ago. He lived at home with his son, who worked full-time outside the house.
His son reached out because he was worried. His father wasn’t making safe or healthy choices when preparing supper.
So our visits were centred around cooking the evening meal together. We talked while we prepared supper, and visited while we cleaned up.
There was good food, good company — and leftovers for lunch the next day.
Sometimes after supper, we’d go for a short walk or stop for a treat — maybe a root beer float at A&W.
Those small moments of companionship brought joy, spontaneity, and connection.
And for the son, it brought peace of mind — knowing his father was safe, cared for, and happy at home.
Healthy meals. Meaningful connection.A win for everyone.
Quotes Worth Sharing
"Malnutrition is a key contributor to frailty in older adults, with frail seniors experiencing up to 60% longer hospital stays compared to their well-nourished counterparts." — Canadian Malnutrition Task Force, 2023
"Inadequate dietary intake among seniors not only accelerates physical decline but also leads to higher rates of hospitalization and readmission, particularly in long-term care settings." — Health Canada, 2022
A Testimonial
“We have often said that A Friend Indeed was one of the best things we’ve done for dad and ourselves. It has lifted a tremendous weight off our shoulders. Not because dad’s needs were a burden, but because we needed help …and this was ok. We added A Friend Indeed to our family support system, and we know Dad is better taken care of and so are we.” –Janice (daughter)
Tips To Help You
2 Separate Tips to help recognize if your aging loved one is having difficulty:
Give your aging loved one a hug. Not only does it feel good, but a hug can tell you a lot of things about how they are doing. Have they lost or gained weight? How is their mood? Does anything seem out of the ordinary? For someone who is not eating well or choosing poor nutritional foods for their meals, you may notice their ability to regulate their mood declines. Do they seem to be more tired than usual or have an attitude where they just can’t be bothered by most things? Good nutrition and calories provide the fuel on which to regulate oneself and live well. Learning how your aging loved one is doing in these areas will help you to understand better about the choices they are making regarding food and their health.
If your aging loved one is living on his own, give his fridge a quick check for expired food, leftovers or lack thereof, and any other clues that tell you how your aging loved one is eating. Check the freezer too! While it is great to have frozen meals portioned and available, is he actually using them? Talk with your loved one and listen to what they say. Maybe there are obstacles preventing access to healthy meals. Perhaps the frozen meals are forgotten about. Maybe the oven is now a little daunting to use. Perhaps he waits until hunger gets the best of him before he acts and so he’s motivated by the quickest and easiest option available –regardless of the nutritional value.
Tips You Can Act On
A tip to act on:
Do you have an aging loved one living at home who isn’t eating well? Try a small experiment.
Prepare one or two nutritious items that are easy to grab from the fridge. Something simple — like boiled eggs or a can of tuna mixed and ready to eat.
If you’re using containers, label them clearly. Place everything where it’s easy to see as soon as the fridge door opens.
Cut up a few vegetables, cover them in clear wrap, and make them just as easy to grab.
Let your loved one know what’s there — no pressure. Then give it a day or two.
When you check back, notice what’s been eaten. You’ll start to see what works best for them — and that will guide your next steps in support.”
A Compliment To The Care Giver
To the family caregiver of aging loved ones, I want to acknowledge all that you do and have done. You focus your time, effort and energy as best as you can, so that your loved one is comfortable, at ease and content. You know there is much that is out of your control. Life circumstances and even your loved ones can be in the way of their own support, much to your dismay. Please remind yourself that everything you do –including taking down time to rest as well as allowing imperfection instead of perfection- is as important as everything else.
Have A Giggle
After picking up a few items while grocery shopping with my mom, we returned to her place, where I put the bags on the table. I said I’d do a quick clean of her bathroom before I leave, and she could put the items away. She appreciated that arrangement.
She was having some struggles with memory back then, and I wanted to see how the task would go for her without my hovering. Every so often, I popped my head around the corner and asked how it was going. “Fine,” she would reply. When I was done in the bathroom, I came out and saw that all the bags were empty. Awesome! The fridge looked good, as did the cupboards. “Wonderful!” I said out loud!
It was then that I recalled the bananas that we bought. I didn’t see them anywhere! Such an odd shape that has some weight to them, they must be somewhere! I was recounting my own memory of buying them – yes; putting them in the bag? – yes, then where could they be?? I searched high and low and even searched against common reasons. Looking inside pots with lids, boxes and all the shelves –nothing! They were not here! But I knew they were, and it was a mystery! I had to leave and kissed her goodbye.
It was a few days later I was over for a visit. She offered tea and a muffin to which I gladly accepted. I wanted to warm up my muffin in the microwave and laughed out loud and hollered when I opened its door, inside were the missing bananas!
A Resource For You
If your aging loved one, who is living at home, is not eating well then, I am certain you are on the lookout for some ideas to help. Ideas that balance the needs of your loved one and what is workable for your schedule.
We have created a helpful tool called The How to Guide Meal Planning system
It is a complementary downloadable pdf that has step by step instructions as well as additional ideas to support your aging loved one who is not eating well at home.
This is how you access it
A Question To Leave You With
If You Had A Magic Wand, What Would You Choose?
When it comes to your aging loved one’s care and the current supports they receive, most family caregivers are searching for some improvements. If you had a magic wand, what one thing would you ask for in the areas of care and support for your aging loved one?
Write it in the comments and see how many other caregivers say the same thing or something different.
Comments