When your dad’s doctor tells him it’s time to change his diet and improve his blood pressure, you can’t ignore it. His well-being is at risk if he ignores the advice. What can you do to ensure your dad is taking better care of himself through his diet? Have you considered the benefits of elder care aides?
Meal Planning
With high blood pressure, your dad’s doctor wants him to cut sodium, excessive sugar, and saturated fat. The recommendation is that he tries to stick to the Mediterranean Diet as much as possible as it focuses on vegetables, legumes, healthy oils, and fish.
Your dad may find it hard to come up with recipe ideas that appeal to him. His caregiver can help him find meal plans and recipes that appeal to him and build a shopping list from that.
He may be working with a dietitian for now. If he needs a ride to those appointments, that’s another service elder care aides offer.
Grocery Shopping and Meal Preparation
With a list in hand, your dad’s elder care aide can help him place a grocery order for delivery, take him shopping, or shop for him. It’s his choice. If he wants to go shopping, his caregiver can read the labels and make sure that low-sodium or no-salt options are selected.
Your dad’s caregiver will load bags into his car, load them into the trunk, and carry them into his home. He’ll even have someone to put groceries away for him.
When your dad is ready for a snack, his caregiver can make it for him or help him if needed. Meals are also prepared by the caregiver when he’s ready to eat. If he has medications that he has to take with his meal, his caregiver can remind him. If he’s supposed to take his pills on an empty stomach, his caregiver can remind him before starting to cook a meal.
Elder Care Aides Provide Companionship While He Eats
Your dad’s caregiver can keep him company while he eats. Studies find that eating alone impacts your mental health and it can affect your physical health, too. You may rush a meal and eat too much, eat in a rush on the sofa in front of the TV, or lean towards quick, less nutritious frozen meals.
Your dad will have a home-cooked meal and conversation while he eats. He’ll eat slowly and want to stay at the table longer.
Kitchen Clean-Up
After he’s finished, his caregiver gathers his dishes and washes them or scrapes them off and loads the dishwasher. If it needs to be run, his caregiver will add detergent and set the correct cycle. Clean dishes are dried and put away.
Counters get wiped down and sanitized. The stovetop is cleaned, and any small appliances are put back where they go. If the trash, compost, or recycling needs emptying, that’s also taken care of.
Talk to our elder care specialist about your dad’s health and dietary needs. You’ll learn more about the services that will help him with everything from medication reminders before or during meals to the preparation of snacks, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Let our elder care agency provide your dad with the support he needs to live independently.
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7279577/
If you or a loved one needs Elder Care Services in Easton PA or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Extended Family Care of Allentown. Call today at (610) 200-6097.
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