{"id":2226,"date":"2017-09-08T09:02:03","date_gmt":"2017-09-08T13:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"\/?p=2226"},"modified":"2017-11-02T12:44:25","modified_gmt":"2017-11-02T16:44:25","slug":"homecare-in-lorton-va-three-tips-boosting-elderly-parents-appetite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/homecare-in-lorton-va-three-tips-boosting-elderly-parents-appetite\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Tips for Boosting Your Elderly Parent’s Appetite"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Homecare

Homecare in Lorton VA: Boosting Your Senior’s Appetite<\/p><\/div>\n

A decreased appetite is just one of the many changes the elderly face as they age.\u00a0 If your mom or dad just isn’t as hungry and is losing weight, it can be concerning.<\/p>\n


\nHere are three tips for making sure your parent is eating enough.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Avoid Full Meals and Do Small Plates More Frequently<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Rather than serve one large meal each day, spread meals out and have smaller meals more frequently.\u00a0 \u00a0Your parent will always be eating without making the stomach feels uncomfortable.\u00a0 Eating frequent meals also helps regulate blood sugar levels and avoid crashes when the stomach is nearing empty.<\/p>\n

When creating a schedule for small, frequent meals, start with breakfast just after getting up, then plan another light meal two hours later.\u00a0 Space them out so that a small plate is offered every two or three hours.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Make Sure There’s a Companion Available for Main Meals<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Many seniors eat more when they have company.\u00a0 Instead of cooking a meal and then leaving your mom or dad to eat alone, sit down and share a meal and conversation.\u00a0 Plan weekly or monthly family dinners where your mom or dad enjoy the company of children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n

If you cannot always be there for meals, talk to an elder care agency.\u00a0 In addition to preparing meals for your parent, a caregiver can sit down and eat with your mom or dad.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3, Try New Things<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Taste buds change over time.\u00a0 Your mom or dad’s lack of appetite may simply be that the foods in the cupboards, freezer, and refrigerator are no longer appealing.\u00a0 Introduce new foods and see what your mom or dad really seems to enjoy.<\/p>\n

–<\/em>Create plates that have a variety of colors and textures…<\/strong><\/p>\n

For example, crunchy tortilla chips with the red, white, and green of a homemade pico de gallo appeal to the eyes and mouth.\u00a0 \u00a0A grilled chicken breast topped with a chutney made from blueberries and onions looks appealing and is healthy, too.\u00a0 Keep introducing new foods from time to time to keep your parent from becoming bored.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Caregivers benefit your mom or dad in so many ways.\u00a0 Not only will your parent have help preparing meals, but the companionship aspect is very important.\u00a0 Studies find that the elderly are in better physical and mental shape when they avoid feeling lonely.\u00a0 Call an elder care agency today to learn more about the services available to your mom or dad.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you or a loved-one are considering homecare in Lorton<\/a>, VA, to help with motivation and exercise each day, please contact the caring staff at Quality Health Services LLC. Call today\u00a0703-910-7081.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Homecare in Lorton VA: A decreased appetite is just one of the many changes the elderly face as they age.\u00a0 If your mom or dad just isn’t as hungry and is losing weight, it can be concerning.\u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[144,145,136],"tags":[146],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2226"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2226"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2229,"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2226\/revisions\/2229"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/qhscares.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}