Why Your Senior Is Losing Weight

Unintentional weight loss in seniors can result from a combination of factors, including changes in metabolism, decreased appetite due to medical conditions or medications, reduced sense of taste and smell, and dental issues affecting eating. Sometimes seniors have underlying health problems such as gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, or chronic illnesses that can be hard to manage and lead to weight loss. If your senior needs help making appetizing food or living with a chronic condition, it’s time to look into in-home care to help them through this process of aging and ensure they stay at a healthy weight. Here are some more reasons why your loved one is unintentionally losing weight.

There May Be Physical Problems

The very first thing to consider is scheduling your loved one a doctor’s appointment to find out if there are any underlying physical problems. This will be one of the only ways to get an accurate diagnosis and take steps to cure any problems that may help them gain a healthy weight. A doctor should be a part of a senior’s health routine because it is the only and best way to manage any condition. Once a senior knows what is going on physically, this will help in-home care understand how to help your loved one maintain a healthy weight, but no one can do this without a doctor.

Help With Meal Planning

Sometimes seniors stop eating, which can cause weight loss, and that is because they can’t cook as well or as easily as they used to. This can be a struggle when a senior chooses to age in place and can lead to unintentional weight loss. In-home care can help your elderly loved one cook throughout the week and ensure they have food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and snacks for your loved one to eat throughout the day.

Look At Their Eating Habits

If your senior loved one is not eating all the time or they are not eating the right foods, they may have trouble maintaining a healthy weight. If they are eating foods with very little nutritional value, it may not be helping them feel or stay full. So, paying attention to what your loved one is eating, how often, and how it makes them feel is crucial. This is one of the first things to note when trying to figure out why your loved one is not gaining or maintaining weight. If they eat well, it could be a problem for a doctor. They may also feel like food is unappetizing due to losing their smell or taste, which is a natural part of aging. You may need to start experimenting with various seasonings and flavors.

Track Their Weight

When you see your senior loved one losing weight, it’s time to start tracking it. You may want to go by a scale, or you may want to go by their clothing; whatever way you want to track weight, you should do. However, before starting to track weight, you should ask a doctor what a senior’s goal weight is.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering in-home care in Westchester County, NY, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Westchester, Queens, Rockland today. 646-480-6266