As a family caregiver, one of the things that you may need to do is help your elderly loved one with their health and nutrition. The difficult part of this is that there are so many different resources for what people should be eating, when to eat, and how much to eat. With this being said, it can be helpful to have a basic guide for health and nutrition. This guide will benefit your elderly loved one by giving them basic information about things they need to have in their diet. You or a home care provider can help your senior get proper nutrition with these tips.
Two of the things that your elderly loved one should have in their diet include vitamin D and calcium. Calcium, as you may know, helps to make bones stronger. Vitamin D helps to take more of the calcium into the body and the bones. This is why it is very important for senior citizens to have enough of both, vitamin D and calcium, every day.
Your elderly loved one should also make sure they are getting enough potassium every day. This mineral is important because it helps to lower blood pressure, regulate healthy muscle contractions, fight against osteoporosis, reduce the risk of strokes, and much more. There are many ways your elderly loved one can get enough potassium. They can get enough potassium by eating beans, vegetables, fruits, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
It is also important that your elderly loved one gets enough vitamin B12 in their daily diet. This is a vitamin that can help to improve your elderly loved one’s nerve functions. There are numerous ways that a person can get more vitamin B12 in their diet. Some of the things they can eat to get this vitamin include fortified cereals, seafood, and lean meats. If a doctor gives the okay, your elderly loved one may be able to take vitamin B12 supplements, as well.
Another important part of your elderly loved one’s diet is fiber. Everyone needs to have fiber in their daily diet to help with better digestive system functions. Fiber can also help reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some other health issues. Your elderly loved one can get more fiber in their diet by eating fortified cereals and whole-grain foods. Home care providers can prepare nutritious meals throughout the day so your senior can enjoy the benefits of plenty of fiber.
These are some of the health and nutrition basics that your elderly loved one needs to know about. After sharing this information with them, hopefully, you and home care providers can help your elderly loved one to get these things in their daily diet.
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/healthy-eating
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