Category Archives: Vitamins & Minerals

Planning a Healthy Meal for Your Senior

Posted on by

Senior Health & Lifestyle

What’s for dinner?  Here are a few things to consider when planning a menu for a senior:

Easy to chew and swallow: Our digestive processes changes with age and seniors tend to produce 30% less saliva then they did while younger. Foods that are dry can be difficult to chew and swallow. Many senior citizens wear dentures, so tough meats and raw vegetables can be difficult to chew. When planning a meal, it’s best to select softer foods that are easy to eat.

Lower in salt: Most seniors have salt restrictions to reduce the risk of water retention and high blood pressure. Cooking with low or no salt is best, while processed foods and salted meats should also be avoided.

Make it tasty: Prescription medications can affect the flavor of foods and as we age our sense of smell and taste also changes. Foods that once were tasty may taste bland to the elderly. When preparing a meal for a senior adding savory (but not spicy) seasonings will make a meal taste more flavorful.

Use recipes with lots of nutrition: Most seniors tend to have smaller appetites which can contribute to weight loss. Instead of preparing light & lean meals, meals that are high in nutrition and calories can help a senior maintain a healthy weight.

Ask: Sometimes the simplest way of planning a meal for a senior is to ask him/her what they might enjoy eating. Most seniors know what kinds of foods are agreeable and what might lead to indigestion. Instead of deciding on your own what type of entree to prepare for a senior, it’s really best to ask first what he or she might prefer eating.

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.

Elderly Senior Diet – 5 Quick Tips

Posted on by

NJ Senior Health

If your elderly loved one is hoping to drop a few pounds, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Exercise
Studies of the elderly indicate that current weight, rather than age, determined energy intake in men and women. The study suggests that changes in lifestyle, not age, resulted in the dietary changes seen in the healthy elderly survey. As you mature, your body will lose muscle mass, decreasing your metabolic rate, which in turn burns fewer calories at a slower rate. A great way to maintain control of your maturing body is to exercise regularly.

2. Eat More Fiber
Maintaining a regular cycle of all systems in our bodies is very important. Fiber helps maintain regularity, preventing constipation and gastrointestinal diseases like diverticulosis (pouches that cause spasm or cramping in the large intestines). You may also want to be extremely selective in your diet and not include gaseous foods.

3. Get More Calcium
Around 40 years old, our bones start to lose more minerals quicker than it can replace them. For women, menopause causes a drop in estrogen levels, estrogen helps bones maintain calcium. Menopause is responsible for a greater loss of calcium than in men. You should discuss with your physician a dietary supplement to ensure you are properly maintaining your body.

4. Drink Plenty of Water
Water is essential from birth throughout life. It is critical to health and is chronically overlooked. Second only to air in its steady and relentless necessity, H2O carries nutrients to cells; aids digestion by contributing to stomach secretions; flushes bodily wastes and reduces risk of kidney stones by diluting salts in the urine; ensures healthy function of moisture-rich organs (skin, eyes, mouth, nose); lubricates and cushions joints; regulates body temperature; and protects against heat exhaustion through perspiration. And the list goes on and on. You should consume the minimum eight glasses of water daily to maintain a youthful vigor and pep.

5. Avoid Foods With Too Much Sugar
Too much sugar causes a number of problems – it suppresses the immune system, weakens eyesight, contributes to obesity and diabetes, causes constipation, leads to all different types of cancers, and the list goes on and on about the effects of sugar intake. Young and old should never binge on sugar.

Eating well and exercising regularly can make you feel a lot better. It gives you more energy – and it can actually help slow down the aging process!

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.

Elderly Breathing Problems – 20 Tips to Help Your Senior Live Better

Posted on by

NJ Senior Health

People with chronic bronchitis are at increased risk of developing infections, and those with other breathing problems (such as emphysema or COPD) are at risk of having infections further these problems. To prevent infections, encourage your senior to:

  • Wash both hands frequently.
  • Stay away from people who are ill.
  • Take a daily vitamin.
  • Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, which contain vitamins and will build up their immune system.
  • Try a zinc supplement, which may help reduce infections.

Reducing indoor air pollution can help strengthen your elderly loved one’s lung health.  Here are some things to consider:

  • Central air conditioning is essential in warmer months for older people.  Make sure the filter is changed often.
  • Check for mold which can irritate the lungs.
  • Use only vacuum cleaners with HEPA air filters that trap the dust.
  • Wash bed linens, pillows, and curtains in hot water to kill any dust mites.
  • Remove any pets from the home.
  • Do not paint the inside of the house or redo the floors with polyurethane coating, as paint and polyurethane can irritate lungs.
  • Always run a fan that vents to the outdoors for at least 20 minutes when cooking or showering, as this will help avoid moisture buildup which can lead to mold.
  • Aerosol sprays and scented products should be avoided as they can cause breathing problems.

Learn how to conserve your senior’s energy. Here are some things to consider:

  • Exercising can help tone your senior’s muscles.
  • Seniors should rest for an hour after each meal to give the body time to digest the food eaten before using energy on something else.
  • Your senior should keep often used items within reach of his or her chair, so that it isn’t necessary to move very much to get them. Silverware should go from the sink or dishwasher to the table rather than cabinets. Pots and pans should be placed back on the stove after washing
  • If your senior lives alone, find someone to prepare meals, shop and do chores for him or her.

Clothing can also play a role.  Here are some tips to consider:

  • Your senior should avoid anything tight in the chest or abdomen that could restrict breathing, such as belts, bras and girdles.
  • Heavy clothing, such as coats and sweaters, can be exhausting, as these items require extra energy to wear.
  • Trying on clothing can itself be tiring. Instead, encourage your senior to measure him or herself with a tape measure or be measured by someone. Knowing these measurements will enable your senior to buy clothes either on line (thereby saving the energy needed to shop) or in a store, without trying them on.

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.

Is Your Senior Getting Enough Vitamin B12 ?

Posted on by

NJ Senior Health

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, like those of many other treatable health conditions, can be virtually identical to age dementia symptoms, senile dementia symptoms and Alzheimer’s symptoms. As many as 20% of people over age 65 have low Vitamin B12 levels. Correcting the deficiency can help your elderly loved one resume a full and normal live.

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Diarrhea
  • Numbness and tingling of hands and feet
  • Paleness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Sore mouth and tongue
  • Confusion or change in mental status in severe or advanced cases (which can be confused with dementia). More importantly, even a moderate deficiency of this important vitamin and its counterpart, folic acid, may ultimate contribute to the onset of Alzheimers disease or other related dementias.

Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal products and is also added to certain foods. Good sources of vitamin B12 include:

  • Fish and seafood
  • Meat
  • Poultry
  • Eggs
  • Cheese
  • Milk
  • Yogurt
  • Fortified foods such as cereals

Posted by: Frank Esposito, Vice President of Expert Home Care.  New Jersey’s Expert Home Care provides professional and reliable home health care and companion care for NJ elderly, helping them with their daily living activities since 1984. Please call us toll free at 800-848-2336 when you have home care related questions or need assistance for a loved one. Get a Free Home Care Assessment (a $375 value!) when you mention this post.