As seniors grow older, issues with dietary concerns and nutrition can have a serious impact on good health. In an overseas study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the links between being underweight and malnourished leading to higher mortality rates were highlighted – and it's something care-givers should take very seriously.
Geriatricians already know that lack of eating is a common and potentially dangerous problem facing many seniors with increasingly complex eating/dietary issues.
Fortunately, for worried family members who find it challenging to entice a loved one to eat more, the use of nutrition-rich drink supplements can help ease the stress.
Before making any changes to the diet of a senior in your life, it's important that you talk to their doctor and understand what they nutritional needs are, so that you can utilise the benefits of a great quality supplement and balance the goodness with other fresh fruit, vegetables and proteins.
Top Tips To Use Nutrition Drinks Safely For Seniors
Rather than rely on a supplement drink, like OzFarm Healthcare Formula, as a total meal replacement, adding the goodness of the drink supplement to the daily diet of the senior you help care for is recommended as the best solution for great nutrition. Adding a drink between meals and as a snack can add the extra nutritional input a healthy diet needs – a positive and easy way to boost their vitamin and mineral intake and help their nutritional health maintain its optimal levels.
Causes of Reduced Appetite in Seniors
Weight loss does not have to be seen as a normal part of aging.
Often, weight loss is the sign of another underlying illness and so it is always recommended to be checked by a doctor, and have specialist tests if problems persist, just to be safe.
Ulcers, thyroid disease, dementia, depression, dysphagia, dulled senses of smell and taste - and even ill-fitting dentures - can all have an impact on the way seniors enjoy their food. The good news is that the causes are either able to be treated, or they can be adapted to, to accommodate new eating habits that address nutritional needs.
Before giving a supplement drink to the senior you help care for, talk to their doctor to make the best possible choice. For diabetics, choosing a low-sugar product is critical.
Unique Nutritional Needs For Seniors
Although the general population is usually best with any low-calorie, low-fat diet, it is often the case that seniors need the opposite – especially if increased frailty and weight loss is an issue.
Elderly people with no other need for dietary restrictions, and who are suffering weight loss, can enjoy healthy smoothies, as well as eggs, cheese, peanut butter and even ice-cream. Nutrient-rich drink supplements are also definitely an easy way to boost daily nutrition without worrying about time-consuming meal preparation.
If the senior in your life is on a steady dose of prescription medication, talking with their doctor is always important, as some increases in vitamins and minerals can cause impact on the effectiveness and safety of some medications.
For more information on choosing a nutritional supplement that is right for the senior in your life, visit, https://www.ozfarmroyal.com.au/pages/health-care