How Does Home Care Ensure Your Mom Eats Well?

Malnutrition is a problem with older adults. You worry about your mom eating a balanced diet. She rarely cooks meals and prefers to have frozen pizzas or ramen cups. It’s not healthy and you want her to start making healthier choices.

Have you looked into the benefits of home care? Home care aides can cook meals and prepare snacks for her. The days of eating frozen or packaged, processed foods end when your mom has food preparation services available.

How Does Meal Preparation Work?

When you arrange meal preparation services from a home care agency, your mom has a caregiver stopping by on scheduled days. Her caregiver will work out what your mom wants to eat. If your mom has dietary restrictions, such as low sodium or sugar-free, meals are made to match those needs.

Once a menu is planned, the caregiver can go through your mom’s kitchen and make a shopping list of any items that are needed. You could get them and drop them off, the grocery store might deliver, or the caregiver can take your mom shopping.

When it’s time for a meal or snack, your mom’s caregiver prepares it. Your mom can help out if she wants, but she no longer has to cook. She has someone else to do it for her.

Your mom is able to talk to her caregiver about what she would like to eat. If your mom loves soup and grilled cheese, her caregiver can find suitable soup recipes that match your mom’s need for low sodium. If she is craving dessert but has been told no sugar, her caregiver can work on desserts that match her needs, such as fresh strawberries dipped in almond butter.

Your Mom Doesn’t Have to Eat Alone

If your mom often eats alone, she no longer has to. Her caregiver can join her for a meal. Your mom doesn’t have to be by herself. Her caregiver is there to talk to her while they eat. Studies find older people eat more when they’re with others, so this will also help make sure your mom eats well.

The Kitchen Is Cleaned Up

After she’s eaten, her caregiver can wash the dishes, wipe down cooking surfaces and counters, and put clean and dry dishes away. If your mom has a dishwasher, her caregiver can make sure it’s turned on and put away dishes when the cleaning and drying cycles end.

Leftovers are put away to prevent spoilage. If there are food composting rules in your mom’s area, her caregiver will move scraps to the bucket or compost bin.

Schedule home care services for your mom. In addition to meal preparation, your mom has someone to help with housework, laundry, transportation, and organization. Talk to a home care specialist to find out how much meal preparation services cost.