Let’s face it. There’s a reason why so many seniors have trouble eating nutritiously every day. It’s not always easy! The following tips will help you “speak the language” of good nutrition and help you feel in control.

Say “no” to eating alone

Eating with company can be as important as vitamins. Think about it: a social atmosphere stimulates your mind and helps you enjoy meals. When you enjoy mealtimes, you’re more likely to eat better. If you live alone, eating with company will take some strategizing, but the effort will pay off.

• Make a date to share lunch or dinners with grand children, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors on a rotating basis.
• Join in by taking a class, volunteering, or going on an outing, all of which can lead to new friendships and dining buddies.
• Adult day care centers provide both companionship and nutritious meals for seniors who are isolated and lonely, or unable to prepare their own meals.
• Senior meal programs are a great way to meet others. Contact your local Senior Center, YMCA, congregation or high school and ask about senior meal programs.

Loss of appetite

First, check with your doctor to see if your loss of appetite could be due to medication you’re taking, and whether the dosage can be adjusted or changed. Then let the experimenting begin. Try natural flavor enhancers such as olive oil, vinegar, garlic, onions, ginger, and spices.

Difficulty chewing

Make chewing easier by drinking smoothies made with fresh fruit, yogurt, and protein powder. Eat steamed veggies and soft food such as couscous, rice, and yogurt. Consult your dentist to make sure your dentures are properly fitted.

Dry mouth

Drink 8 -10 glasses of water each day. Period. Take a drink of water after each bite of food, add sauces and salsas to foods to moisten, avoid commercial mouthwash, and ask your doctor about artificial saliva products.

I don’t like healthy food

If you were raised eating lots of meat and white bread, a new way of eating might sound off-putting. Don’t beat yourself up. Eating healthfully is a new adventure. Start with small steps:

• First and foremost, commit to keeping an open mind.
• Try including a healthy fruit or veggie at every meal.
• Focus on how you feel after eating well – this will help foster new habits and tastes.

Stuck in a rut

Rekindle inspiration by perusing produce at a farmers market, reading a cooking magazine, buying a new-to-you spice, or chatting with friends about what they eat. By making variety a priority, you’ll soon look forward to getting creative with healthy meals.

If you can’t shop or cook for yourself…

There are a number of possibilities, depending on your living situation, finances and needs:

• Take advantage of home delivery. Many grocery stores have Internet or phone delivery services.
• Swap services. Ask a friend, neighborhood teen or college student if they would be willing to shop for you.
• Share your home. If you live alone in a large home, consider having a housemate / companion who would be willing to do the grocery shopping and cooking.
• Hire a homemaker. Try to find someone who can do the shopping and meal preparation for you.

Reprinted with permission for personal or non-profit use. Visit www.helpguide.org to see the article with links to related articles.  This material is for information and support; not a substitute for professional advice.

Thinking of trading a tired eating regime for a nutrient-dense menu? Good for you! It’s easy and delicious.

Avoid skipping meals – This causes your metabolism to slow down, which leads to feeling sluggish and poorer choices later in the day.

Breakfast – Select high fiber breads and cereals, colorful fruit, and protein to fill you with energy for the day. Try yogurt with muesli and berries, a veggie-packed omelet, peanut-butter on whole grain toast with a citrus salad, or old-fashioned oatmeal made with dried cherries, walnuts, and honey.

Lunch – Keep your body fueled for the afternoon with a variety of whole-grain breads, lean protein, and fiber. Try a veggie quesadilla on a whole-wheat tortilla, veggie stew with whole-wheat noodles, or a quinoa salad with roasted peppers and mozzarella cheese.

Dinner – End the day on a wholesome note. Try warm salads of roasted veggies and a side of crusty brown bread and cheese, grilled salmon with spicy salsa, or whole-wheat pasta with asparagus and shrimp. Opt for sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes and grilled meat instead of fried.

Snacks – It’s okay, even recommended, to snack. But make sure you make it count by choosing high-fiber snacks to healthfully tide you over to your next meal. Choose almonds and raisins instead of chips, and fruit instead of sweets. Other smart snacks include yogurt, cottage cheese, apples and peanut butter, and veggies and hummus.

Reprinted with permission for personal or non-profit use. Visit www.helpguide.org to see the article with links to related articles.  This material is for information and support; not a substitute for professional advice.

Once you’ve made friends with nutrient-dense food, your body will feel slow and sluggish if you eat less wholesome fare. Here’s how to get in the habit of eating well.

• Reduce sodium (salt) to help prevent water retention and high blood pressure. Look for the “low sodium” label and season meals with a few grains of course sea salt instead of cooking with salt.
• Enjoy good fats. Reap the rewards of olive oil, avocados, salmon, walnuts, flaxseed, and other monounsaturated fats. Research shows that the fat from these delicious sources protects your body against heart disease by controlling “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and raising “good” HDL cholesterol levels.
• Fiber up. Avoid constipation, lower the risk of chronic diseases, and feel fuller longer by increasing fiber intake. Your go-to fiber-foods are raw fruits and veggies, whole-grains, and beans.
• Avoid “bad” carbs. Bad carbohydrates—also known as simple or unhealthy carbs— are foods such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. Bad carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and short-lived energy. For long-lasting energy and stable insulin levels, choose “good” or complex carbs such as whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables.
• Look for hidden sugar. Added sugar can be hidden in foods such as bread, canned soups and vegetables, pasta sauce, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, fast food, and ketchup. Check food labels for alternate terms for sugar such as corn syrup, molasses, brown rice syrup, cane juice, fructose, sucrose, dextrose, or maltose. Opt for fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned goods, and choose low-carb or sugar-free versions of products such as tortillas, bread, pasta, and ice cream.
• Cook smart. The best way to prepare veggies is by steaming or sautéing in olive oil—it preserves nutrients. Forget boiling—it drains nutrients.
• Put five colors on your plate. Take a tip from Japanese food culture and try to include five colors on your plate. Fruits and veggies rich in color correspond to rich nutrients (think: blackberries, melons, yams, spinach, tomato, zucchini).

Reprinted with permission for personal or non-profit use. Visit www.helpguide.org to see the article with links to related articles.  This material is for information and support; not a substitute for professional advice.

How many calories do seniors need?

There is a right number of calories for your body. Use the following as a guideline.

A woman over 50 who is:

• Not physically active needs about 1600 calories a day
• Somewhat physically active needs about 1800 calories a day
• Very active needs about 2000 calories a day

A man over 50 who is:

• Not physically active needs about 2000 calories a day
• Somewhat physically active needs about 2200-2400 calories a day
• Very active needs about 2400-2800 calories a day

Source: National Institute of Aging

Friday, March 4, was my dad’s 84th birthday, and I purposefully did things all day long that made me think of him: dropped eggs on toast, Maine shrimp for lunch at a Portland working waterfront restaurant, reading “Northern Woodlands” magazine in front of the wood stove, a snowshoe hike and a little cookie baking.

Then I read this really interesting article, about taste coming from your nose and memories. I was especially intrigued at the notion that babies in utero and nursing after birth “learn” to like tastes based on what their mom is eating, so pregnant or nursing women who eat their fruits and vegetables can later more easily entice their toddlers to enjoy carrots, because the kids already like the food from earlier exposure.

That explains why I like all the foods my dad preferred: because that’s what my mom made, and what she ate during the years she added to her young family every 18 months. Lucky me, that my dad didn’t like liver or lima beans! And lucky me that he also enjoyed baking and the occasional cooking experiment, like boiled can.

Boiled can is when you put an unopened can (label peeled off) of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water and let it simmer gently for some hours. Cut off both ends and push out a quivering mass of caramel. Of course, the real delight is that the little kids won’t have a clue what’s in the can…….peas? cranberry sauce? So it makes a delicious surprise. It smells like warm candy and tastes like fun, dad! Thanks for that memory

By Neal R. Davis, SeniorExecutive Director, Bay Square at Yarmouth, Benchmark Assisted Living

What’s it like in Assisted Living? Imagine it’s spring, the trees are starting to bud, the peepers are celebrating the warming of the water, and you join a group of neighbors on the community van to take in the local flower show.  The Activities Director parks the van near the entrance and assists you in getting out of the van. Sharing the experience of the flower show, the scents, the colors and the sounds of fountains splashing with your fellow residents make the day that much more enjoyable.  Knowing that parking, driving, and getting lunch is taken care of makes the time much more relaxing and fun.

Fast forward to summertime, with the flowerbeds in bloom, the umbrella-covered patio tables are providing shade, and the smell of freshly cut grass scenting the air.  A cookout is being served both inside and outside your home by the dining room staff. Your family has joined you today to share this time, and your grandkids are enjoying the lawn and the other children who are visiting. After lunch, you retire to your air-conditioned apartment to relax before taking the community van to your afternoon doctor’s appointment. An aide reminds you that the appointment is at 3:30 so you need to be ready to go by 3:00.

The leaves are starting to turn, the morning air is crisp, and the coffee in the dining room smells hot and inviting. The hostess seats you at a table with three other friends, brings you a cup of coffee and takes your order. You discuss the results of the card game the evening before and make plans to take part in an exercise class after breakfast. On the way out of the dining room you check the day’s schedule of activities and note that a doctor will be speaking in the community room at 2:20 about allergies and means of treating them. The Director of Resident Services checks with you to see if you need any assistance with your shower and reminds you that the blood pressure clinic will be open at 1:30pm. Your daughter calls to see how you are doing and reminds you that your granddaughter will be joining your for lunch. It’s going to be a busy day!

Imagine coming home on a winter’s day, the parking lot and walks are sanded and salted, you are chilled and you can’t wait to go inside.  A welcoming living room with a blazing fire in the fireplace, a pot of coffee in the country kitchen, and people greeting you with smiles and cheerful comments, lets you know that everything is alright with your world. After going to your apartment, which has been cleaned by housekeeping that morning, freshening up, you join your neighbors for a social hour and piano music. 

You talk about your day, share stories about grandchildren, and look forward to sitting down for dinner with friends and relaxing over dessert.

And you ask why assisted living is so popular? Living in an assisted living community, being involved as much as you want and sharing experiences with family members and new-found friends can go a long way toward improving your quality of life. Knowing the activities of daily living, such as cooking and cleaning, are taken care of lessens any worries you may have about taking care of yourself. Finally, peace of mind that comes when you know that if you need help, no matter what time of day or night, someone will be there to help is priceless. Experiencing this peace of mind is just one of the many reasons assisted living is so popular.

Last election day (November 3, 2009) Maine voters approved Question 5, which enacted the citizen-initiated bill, “An act to establish the Maine Medical Marijuana Act “ LD975, IB2, allowing for medical marijuana use by people with debilitating and chronic medical conditions.

Maine also changed its laws, so that nursing homes or in-patient hospices can act as registered medical marijuana caregivers, making them able to obtain medical marijuana from a dispensary, which measures and packages the dosages, making it easier for the nursing facility to inventory.

This is important, because eight other states voted on Nov. 2 on approval of medical marijuana. And if they don’t have the proper dispensary legislation in place, it could mean that residents of nursing homes and hospices will not have access to medical marijuana, which curbs nausea (often caused by chemotherapy and other treatments) and allows patients to regain appetite, eat and retain their food.

In Alaska, for instance, the state marijuana law says that facilities are not required to accommodate residents using cannabis in any facility monitored by the state’s Department of Administration, including assisted living facilities. Even in states where medical cannabis is legal, the federal government doesn’t consider it to have medicinal value. As a result, assisted living facilities not registered as medical marijuana caregivers that allow marijuana use could lose Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

While it’s hard to say exactly what use nursing home and hospice patients will make of medical marijuana, in Maine it’s their legal right to try anything that makes them feel better, knowing they won’t jeopardize funding for their facility.

Each day in the United States, 6,000 people turn 65 years of age.  One in five Americans will be older than age 65 by the year 2030 (American Association of Retired Persons, 2003). This increase of U.S. seniors translates into a staggering increase of people looking for assistance with daily living activities.

Ask most seniors where they would prefer to age, and the majority will say they want to stay in their own home.  The preference to age at home along with an increasing senior population has led to incredible growth in the in-home care service industry.  In-home care is a care solution that can help seniors fulfill on the preference to stay in their home, but not all in-home care is the same.  There are a number of in-home care options available, but before you select an individual or an organization to provide care for a loved one, make sure you research providers and ask the right questions.

In-Home Care Services  

In-home caregivers provide a range of care services and assistance that allow seniors and other adults to remain in their own homes. The majority of agencies offer a mix of the following care:

• Homemaking and Companionship Care – This includes meal preparation, running errands, incidental transportation, light housekeeping, companionship, medication reminders, and a variety of other services.
• Personal Care – Personal care includes bathing, grooming and hygiene care, toileting and incontinence care, feeding and special diet or meal preparation and other services.
• Specialized Services – 24-hour emergency response and, oftentimes, care for clients with Alzheimer’s and other dementia issues.

Differences in In-Home Care Providers

Independents

There are three fundamental business structures of providers who offer in-home care for seniors and other adults:  independents, registries, and employment based agencies, which include local/regional/national corporations or franchise organizations.  Each is substantially different in how they staff and charge for services as well as who assumes the role of employer and the associated responsibilities of the employer.

Independents are as the name suggests; an individual, or individuals, not part of a larger organizational structure providing in-home care.  An independent may be someone you know personally or from the community, or it may be someone who advertises in-home services in the classified section of the newspaper.  No matter the source of the independent caregiver, there are implications surrounding hiring an independent that should be considered before securing the relationship.

The biggest “plus” in hiring an independent is the hourly rate.  Generally, you pay the caregiver less than what you will pay a registry or an employment based agency.  However, a lower hourly rate does not always translate into the most cost efficient solution.  If you secure an independent to provide in-home care, you are now the employer.  That means you are responsible for all employment taxes and deductions for your employee, the caregiver.  You also become responsible for securing the appropriate insurance coverage such as Workers’ Compensation in case the caregiver is injured while providing care in the home and general liability insurance in the event the caregiver causes property damage.  Most homeowners’ policies do not cover the expenses associated with an injury or damages sustained while a caregiver is in your employ.  Additionally, while not required it is important for your own safety and security that you procure appropriate background checks and validation that the candidate is a capable, appropriately trained, and quality care provider.   Beyond the finances, is there a backup caregiver in the event the primary caregiver is ill or unable to care for the individual?  Is the individual trained or does he/she have access to training, to accommodate the changing care needs of a client?  If care is provided in a licensure state, is the caregiver licensed or certified to provide the care services?  On the surface, a lower hourly rate can appear to be the sensible decision, but as you begin to understand what an independent caregiver can or cannot provide, a clear message begins to emerge. A lower rate does not always translate to a more cost efficient, or highest quality, care solution.

Registries

Registries are organizations that build and manage databases of caregivers, but do not actually employ the caregivers.  The caregivers often act as 1099-contract labor, but the employment arrangements can vary. If you opt to hire a caregiver from a registry, one of the first questions you should pose is who assumes the role of employer and who is responsible for employment tax withholdings and the appropriate insurance coverage?  Some registries do provide Workers’ Compensation coverage, but make sure you understand the extent of the coverage to ensure the caregiver is actually covered while working for you.

Quality registries typically complete background checks on the caregivers in their database.   Generally, they do not provide training, nor do they ensure a level of caregiving proficiency prior to placing the caregiver.  Registries act as a “match maker” and provide viable caregiver personnel options for consumers to consider.  In the event a caregiver falls ill or an event materializes that precludes the caregiver from caring for the client, the registry can provide alternative caregiver solutions.     If you choose a registry to provide an in-home caregiver, make sure you understand:

• Who employs the caregiver
• Who is responsible for employment tax withholdings
• What kind of background checks have been run on the caregiver and the outcome of the checks
• Any and all insurance coverage that may apply to the caregiver in the home
• The type of training the caregiver may have received and certifications the caregiver may have secured
• How the caregiver is paid
• The type of caregiver oversight

Employment Based Agencies

The third option is an employment based agency which may be a corporation, or part of a corporation, or a franchise organization.  The greatest benefit to hiring a caregiver from an organization that employs its caregivers is the oversight provided and convenience for everyone involved.  It is a turnkey care solution and once you have met with the company and made the decision to work with the company, the “back office” details are not your responsibility.  The biggest distinctions with these organizations are:

• They employ the caregiver and clients are not burdened with the laws and requirements associated with being an employer
• Typically, employees have undergone rigorous background checks, interview process, and reference validation
• Caregivers are covered by Workers’ Compensation, general liability, and bonding insurance
• Caregivers are typically trained prior to being placed in a client’s home and there is ongoing training to ensure caregivers are educated and prepared to deliver quality care
• Certification and  licensure requirements are understood and adhered to
• A large roster of caregivers are available and prepared to “step in’ in the event the regular caregiver is unavailable
• Ongoing oversight and involvement from the corporate staff or franchisees

In-home care for seniors and other adults is gaining in momentum as the preferred care solution.  Who wouldn’t prefer to stay in the privacy of their own home, surrounded by cherished belongings and memories, and maintaining a level of independence?  Today, there are more care options available to seniors and their families, and in-home care can be that solution, but families need to ask the right questions.  If you are seeking a care solution for yourself or someone you love, take control of the situation and leverage the information that is available to you.  Ask good questions and stay involved!

©Comfort Keepers 2010