We all need to choose healthy foods, but it is especially important for some older people. Appetites and the sense of taste can decrease over time. The challenge of preparing meals can seem just too much for people who have limited mobility and balance issues.
Diet is another area where elder care caregivers can help a great deal in improving not only nutrition but the basic quality of life. No one wants to eat food that is uninteresting or unattractive, so it’s especially important to make meals colorful and tasty as well as nutritious and easy to eat.
How do you make meals that are tasty as well as nutritious and easy to eat? Here are some tips to help you:
1. Keep snacks healthy and fun. Eating small amounts between meals can help keep energy levels up and provide variety in a balanced diet. For snacks, try some of these:
a. Raw vegetables like carrots and celery keep well in plastic bags. Dip carrots in low-fat salad dressing, or add a bit of peanut butter to the celery.
b. Fresh fruit or dried fruit like raisins.
c. A handful of nuts or trail mix, always taking into consideration any food allergies or diet restrictions.
d. A […]
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Baby Boomers Need to Consider LTC Insurance
Long Term Care and LTC insurance is an important issue for baby boomers, their parents and me. The reality of long term care is at the forefront of our minds because of the news, TV or personal experience. We must ask ourselves what impact an unexpected illness or accident would have on our finances. What is long-term care who needs it and how much will it cost. Before we look at these questions let me share some fun facts about getting “older”.
1. Over 40% of all Americans over the age of 65 will spend some time in a nursing home due to a prolonged illness or disability.
2. One year in a nursing home can cost $36,000 to $60,000. Currently, the average cost in a long term care facility in America is $41,000 per year. The average cost of a visit by a home health aide is $52. Daily visits would cost you almost $19,000 per year. Skilled nursing at home, to administer medication or oxygen, for example, five days per week for a year would cost you an average of $94 per visit, or $24,440 per year.
3. Health care plans and Medicare combined pay […]
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Many family members feel that a deadbolt on the front door of their parent’s home will take care of any elder care safety issues that might harm them. There are other safety issues that family members never stop to consider and those considerations include what their parent’s state of mind is, the structural soundness of the building that they are living in, and the quality of the company that they keep.
The children of the elderly naturally assume that their parent’s are quite capable of making sound decisions and can take care of themselves. They may not realize that their parents have reached the age of regression and that they are now in need of someone to take care of their needs for a while. They might not be conscious about structural changes in the building where they live and may need someone to call a repairman before an accident occurs.
These are just elder care safety issues and are not meant to be confused with elder care inefficiencies that say they are incapable of living on their own. If the children of elderly parents would simply take the viewpoint of being a second set of eyes for someone whose eyesight has […]
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