Staying Nourished: A Guide for Caregivers

When caring for a loved one, there are many responsibilities: bathing, dressing, and feeding, to name a few. Advancing age can bring on new challenges for the individual themselves and for their caregiver and making sure someone is staying well-fed with nourishing food is usually high on the list of importance. Caregiving tasks related to mealtimes include grocery shopping and meal preparation. Although these tasks seem simple and routine, everyone has their own nutritional needs based on their current health situation.

When grocery shopping as a caregiver, some things to remember are:

• Shop with a list. To create your list, first plan out the meals and snacks for the week/month and stick to that plan. It is best to only buy enough fresh produce to avoid any food waste. 
• Focus on pantry staples. Stock up on as many nourishing pantry staples as you can, as the expiration date is farther out than fresh foods. Be sure to practice the First In First Out (FIFO) method by checking the expiration dates and moving the almost expired foods to the front and the newly purchased foods to the back. 
• Keep them in mind. Knowing the older adult’s preferences, allergies, and/or diet restrictions, if any, based on their medical conditions, medication, food interactions, or food intolerances. Make sure to read the nutrition facts labels and ingredients lists to avoid any unwanted reactions.
  • If you need assistance with shopping and delivery resources for your loved one, contact your ArchWell Health Social Worker for more details.

In addition, caregivers may be caring for someone who needs supplemental nutrition through a tube or someone who no longer has an appetite, which is an entirely new challenge in itself. Reasons for a decreased appetite or decreased food intake include:

• Poor dentition (loss of teeth, dentures)
• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
• Chronic Illness (Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Parkinson’s)
• Medication side effects
• Cancer/chemotherapy
• Loss of taste/smell (sweet and salty taste buds are first to decline)
• Loss of interest in food

Other reasons could impact a person's eating habits, especially related to their social environment. Sharing a meal is a social activity, and living alone may reduce motivation to prepare balanced, nutritious meals. As a caregiver, your role goes beyond just providing physical care; you also ensure your loved one is comfortable and happy. You also offer companionship, greatly impacting the person's overall well-being.

Keeping the person, you are caring for in a good nutritional standing, the risk of malnutrition is limited. Some ways to increase appetite and boost food intake are:

• Stimulate appetite with light physical activity (walking, stretching exercises)
• Create a mealtime routine to regulate hunger cues
• Instead of sugar and salt, enhance flavor with herbs, spices, vinegars, or lemon/lime juice
• Focus on nutrient-dense foods (high in protein, fiber, vitamins)
• Have ready-to-eat snacks on hand (cut-up fruits/vegetables, cheese, yogurt)

Planning meals that meet nutritional needs is important for the health and well-being of both the care recipient and the caregiver. Here are some helpful resources for planning and prepping meals:

• Meal Planning Tips for Caregivers
• 20 Nutritious and Easy Recipes for Senior Nutrition
• Cook Once, Eat Safely throughout the Week
• Grocery-Guide-English-shopping-budget.pdf