Five Ways Dietary Counseling Helps Seniors Stay Healthier

Five Ways Dietary Counseling Helps Seniors Stay Healthier

Adult day health care centers offer a variety of different services to help seniors live full, healthy lives. Dietary counseling is just one of those services and it might be one that families think isn’t necessary, especially if seniors don’t have a lot of health issues needing dietary changes. But the reality is that seniors benefit from making healthier food choices every day and this type of assistance can help with many different challenges seniors face around eating.

Customizable Nutritional Guidance

Dietary counseling starts out with a full assessment of the senior’s nutritional needs, what they like, and what their health goals are. Sometimes this type of assessment can uncover needs that seniors and family caregivers didn’t realize were an issue. After the assessment, specialists can put plans together to meet those needs.

Nutritional Education

Many seniors don’t realize that little changes could make a huge difference for them nutritionally. Eating slightly healthier foods, adjusting portion sizes, and doing a small amount of meal planning can be really helpful. Often seniors have been eating certain foods for so long, they might not even think about whether those options meet their needs any longer. Between health changes and other needs, it is more important than ever before for older adults to be careful with their dietary choices. Seniors become more empowered to make informed decisions about their diet and lifestyle.

Meal Planning and Preparation

Adult day health care centers can also help seniors to plan meals for the week. This can be really helpful for seniors who find it exhausting to think about what kinds of meals they can prepare at home. Many centers even offer healthy meals during the day, ensuring that seniors are eating healthy meals and that they don’t have to prepare them on their own.

Coping with Appetite Changes

So many seniors battle appetite issues as they age and face different health challenges. These appetite changes can be a result of medication side effects, underlying health issues, or simply because of aging. Caregivers at adult day centers can offer smaller meals more often and keep an eye on how well seniors are eating during the day.

Managing Chewing and Swallowing Difficulties

Chewing and swallowing problems present massive issues for seniors when they’re trying to stay healthy and hydrated. Seniors may not be aware of all of the different strategies they can try to overcome these challenges. They can also access additional support, like occupational therapists or speech therapists, who can help them to learn new ways to manage the trouble they’re having. Overall, these tools can help seniors avoid malnutrition and start experiencing a healthy life again.

Dietary counseling at an adult day health care center is a powerful tool for seniors and family caregivers alike. This service looks deeper at the challenges each aging adult faces around eating healthier and finds solutions that get to the root of the problem. This type of assistance keeps seniors healthier, happier, and can make aging in place a lot more viable for them, as well.

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If you need respite and/or help with caring for your loved one in any corner of Ventura County, CA (Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura, Camarillo, etc.), talk to the caring staff at Oxnard Family Circle, Inc. today. 1-805-385-4180