Home Instead : Cooking under pressure

Cooking Under Pressure As a family caregiver, you’re under plenty of pressure. A demanding job, a growing family, a busy household and financial obligations can leave you feeling frazzled. Then, add the task of caring for an ageing relative, and you may often feel like you’re reaching boiling point. With all of these responsibilities, mealtime can become a real challenge. Without good nutrition, health can deteriorate very quickly, making older adults more susceptible to disease and infection. To help keep older people happy, healthy and independent at home, it’s important for family carers to prioritise nutrition when it comes to juggling their caregiving duties. So how do you know if your ageing loved one’s diet fits the bill? 1. Loss of appetite. If your senior loved one has always been a hearty eater but no longer eats as he or she used to, it’s time to find out why. An underlying illness could be the root cause. Or it could be problems with ill-fitting dentures or other pain while chewing. 2. Stopped going out to eat. Ask yourself: “Did Mum and Dad used to love eating out and now they rarely if ever go out to their favourite restaurant?” If so, ask them about the change to determine if there is a problem. 3. Depression. Watch for signs of depression, this can be signalled by a change in appetite. 4. Sudden weight fluctuation. A weight change – losing or gaining a lot of weight in a short time – could mean that something is amiss.

Sit Down and Have a Talk With Your Parent • Tell them what you’ve noticed and that you are concerned. • Listen carefully to find out what they have to say. Also, be sure to let them know that their symptoms might be easily cleared up with some simple dietary changes. • If you suspect medication or an illness might be to blame, suggest a visit to their GP and offer to go along. Be sure to take along a list of current medications, any recent illnesses they might have experienced, and signals of poor nutrition that you noticed. With this information in hand, the doctor can best diagnose the problem. The doctor may suggest some simple blood tests that can help reveal any potential medical problems.

Savvy Shopping Tips For Family Carers Before you think about the types of healthy meals you need to prepare for your ageing loved one, it’s important to first overcome the obstacles of shopping. Here are some tips to help make your next trip to the grocery store a successful one: 1. Shop with others. Shopping can sometimes be seen as a chore – make it more sociable by shopping with a friend or family member. 2. Look out for special price offers. Many local butchers, grocers and supermarkets run offers on nourishing produce that is in season. 3. Loyalty cards. Ensure you have a loyalty card for the store(s) you shop in so you can avail of their special offers and promotions. 4. Don’t be afraid of freezing. When cooking for one it is easy to over-estimate portions. Instead of throwing away the excess food why not freeze it to use as a dinner option on another day. 5. Always make a shopping list. Have a standard shopping list with core items such as fresh, frozen and tinned foods that can be stored. This can save time and money. 6. Don’t shop hungry. Shoppers are always tempted to buy more when hungry. So have a snack before hitting the aisles.