Yesterday was Senior Citizen’s Day. While we celebrate the amazing seniors in our life, it’s time to discuss something that is all too real in the elderly community: malnutrition. Today, we are going to discuss the signs of malnutrition in seniors, possible causes and what you can do to be sure your senior is healthy.

It’s very important to be able to recognize the signs of malnutrition in seniors.

First, next time you’re at their house, check their cupboards and refrigerator. Do they have enough food in there? Is the food they have healthy? Or are they living off packaged and processed foods? Granted, sometimes getting seniors to eat junk food is better than not eating at all. It is important, however, that they are eating a well-balanced diet. If their fridge and pantry aren’t properly stocked, it’s time to go to the grocery store and pick up some healthy food and snacks for them. Also, make arrangements to get them to the store on a weekly basis. This way they don’t have to feel burdensome and will always have fresh food in the house.

Second, monitor their weight. Senior citizens can thin, but if they suddenly look gaunt or thinner than usual, it could be a sign they are not eating properly. Because seniors don’t tend to eat a lot, their meals need to be packed with protein and good fats to give their body’s the nutrients they need. If their diet is lacking in healthy fats and protein, they will lose weight rapidly.

Third, know the side effects of the prescription medication they take. Maybe weight loss or loss of appetite is a side effect. If it is, and it’s causing a problem for your loved one’s health, it may be time to look at a new drug or get them off of it completely. Seniors are often on a lot of medication, so it’s important to know the side effects of all of them.

So, what are some of the causes of malnutrition in the elderly?

Sadly, one of the main causes of malnutrition in senior citizens is poverty. Seniors are often on an extremely fixed income and are too proud to ask for help. Therefore, they are forced to let their nutritional health suffer. Or, they simply may not have a means of getting groceries. A lot of seniors don’t drive, and food spoils quickly. So they may be unable to get to the store on a weekly basis to get milk, bread and fruit. Therefore, they must rely on food that is less perishable and processed, which, in turn, is less healthy.

Another cause of malnutrition in seniors is related to a loss of appetite. As people age, their taste buds change. Mix this with the fact that a lot of medications decrease one’s appetite and it’s a recipe for disaster. You will often see seniors push food around on their plate or barely eat at all. If they’re not eating, they can’t get the proper nutrients their body needs.

Also, eating has a very social component. Sadly, most seniors live alone and they see no sense in cooking for themselves. Sometimes the loneliness can be enough to cause a decrease in appetite. Or they simply no longer care to cook. It’s too much work and hassle to cook for themselves.

What can you do the ensure your senior is healthy?

First, consider supplementation if necessary. Talk to your loved one’s doctor about adding a multivitamin to their diet. This way you know they are at least getting the nutrients their body needs, even if their appetite is lacking.

Second, schedule a home meal delivery service like Meals On Wheels. This way they will have hot, nutritious food delivered right to their door daily. This will prevent them getting burned out from eating the same food all the time. It will also eliminate the need to cook and go to the grocery store.

Third, keep in mind that dehydration can be just as devastating as malnutrition. Have your senior incorporate food with a high water content in to their diet. Some foods that are high in water are cucumbers, tomatoes and beets.

If you still feel as though your loved one isn’t properly caring for themselves at home it may be time to considering getting them in to an assisted living. To learn more about assisted livings you can check out my book Choosing an Assisted Living Facility. I hope you found these tips helpful to care for your loved ones in the best way possible.

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my workbook for dealing with caring for your children, as well as your aging parents: Life in the Sandwich Generation. Life in the Sandwich Generation is a workbook filled with information, tips and tricks for managing the demands needing to care for your aging parents, as well as taking care of your children. It details how you can involve your children in the process, how to learn more about your parents health and finances, while still making time for yourself and your spouse. You can find it here for only $10!

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July is National Sandwich Generation month, recognizing the efforts of caregivers everywhere. With the needs of your kids and your parents, it can be hard to find time for yourself or your spouse. I have put together a list of tips on how to take care of yourself while living life in the sandwich generation and help you prevent burn out.

First, divide up chores. Have the kids pitch in. Sure, there are certain things they can’t do, but you can have them take the dog for a walk or put away the dishes. If they’re older, have them help you with your parents. Have them take grandma to the doctor or go to the grocery store. This will make it so there is less on your plate. 

Second, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you have siblings ask them to help. Create a schedule. One week it will be your turn to help mom and dad with stuff around the house and the next week you can rotate. Also employ the help of trusted neighbors. Ask your parents neighbors to keep an eye on the house. If they notice something abnormal have them call you so you can go check on mom and dad. This way, if you don’t have time to stop over on a regular basis, you can still have the comfort of knowing they are safe. 

Third, plan ahead. This way there are no surprises. If you know your kids have a baseball tournament out of town this weekend, make sure you help your parents out earlier in the week. If you know mom and dad need groceries, take them earlier in the week. Let your siblings know they are going to need to be available to help while you’re gone.

Fourth, be sure to make time for yourself. When you feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions, it’s important to do something for yourself to relax. Treat yourself to a manicure and pedicure or hit the gym. This will help relieve some of the stress.

Life in the sandwich generation can be tough. But these tips will help prevent burn out. 

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my workbook for dealing with caring for your children, as well as your aging parents: Life in the Sandwich Generation. Life in the Sandwich Generation is a workbook filled with information, tips and tricks for managing the demands needing to care for your aging parents, as well as taking care of your children. It details how you can involve your children in the process, how to learn more about your parents health and finances, while still making time for yourself and your spouse. You can find it here for only $10!

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If a loved one has a medical issue, we tend to drop everything, including self care, to focus on them. An ailing family member may require more attention, so it’s okay to shift priorities. It’s still important, however, to make time for self care, because we need to be at our best energy level to be helpful to others.

When I was in the hospital all day every day with my daughter, the doctor reminded me that grandmas can step in. With a gentle nudge I let my parents take over for a bit so I could go home and shower.

Self care doesn’t require large blocks of time. Although you may find taking a day to yourself blissful, it can be as simple as a 15-minute phone call with a good friend, a walk around the neighborhood, reading a chapter in a book, or having time to shower and brush your hair. The point is to find something that makes you feel human again, that restores your energy so you are once again ready to care for your loved one.

Don’t stop caring for yourself just because you are caring for your family.
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What can you do in the name of self care today?

You can learn more about self care during a difficult diagnosis in my newest offering When Life Happens: What to do about unexpected health concerns. This workbook filled with information, tips, and tricks for getting through accidents, difficult diagnoses, rehabilitation, and what to do with the kids through it all. But it also has activities to guide you through your situation. You can find it here.

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Keep the drinks coming. I don’t mean adult beverages for you. With most illnesses, drinking liquids is important for hydration and flushing the body, so make sure you continue to have your child drink water, Pedialyte, and no-sugar-added juices. While you’re at it, make sure you stay hydrated, too. Taking care of yourself will help you take better care of your sick child.

Engage in gentle playtime. Though your child may not be up for running around outside, play is a great way to get some light movement and engage the brain. Try puzzles, sculpting in Play-doh, or coloring pictures. Let them put stickers on their pajamas. Pull out that kids’ doctor kit and take turns diagnosing each other. Read stories together. Cuddle under a snuggly blanket while singing along with or reciting lines from their favorite movie.

Let them see nature. Depending on your child’s ailment, a few minutes outside may be beneficial. Have them breathe in the fresh air and feel the sun on their face. If they can’t go outside due to illness or poor weather, situate them so they can see out a window.

Call the pediatrician. If your child has any symptoms you don’t understand or shows unusual behavior, call their doctor. They may be able to give you some tips over the phone or you may need to go in for an office visit for a more thorough exam. Either way, it’s important to notify your pediatrician of any health concerns.

It may not be a fun day, but you’ll both get through it and back to your normal routine soon. What tips do you have for taking care of sick children? Share in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter. I’d love to hear from you.

Be sure to check out my newest offering When Life Happens: What to do about unexpected health concerns. This is a bit different than my other books. When Life Happens is a workbook filled with information, tips, and tricks for getting through accidents, difficult diagnoses, rehabilitation, and what to do with the kids through it all. But it also has activities to guide you through your situation. It just launched this week. You can find it here.

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Yesterday I had the opportunity to answer your questions. Thank you so much to all of you who submitted your questions. There were many great ones!

One of the questions I received was “How do you balance supporting a chronically sick child and supporting your healthy child or children?”

As a single mother raising two girls, this question very much resonated with me. When my youngest child was born, she was born with a serious illness. I had to figure out quickly, how to balance tending to my sick child and how to care for my healthy child. When my daughter was diagnosed, instinctually, my focus became 100 percent on my sick child. It was difficult for me to remember that I also had a healthy 24-month old daughter who needed a lot of care as well.

When you do have a sick child, all the energy and resources tend to go to that child. However, if you have other children who are healthy or even a spouse, it’s important not to neglect them. It’s essential to find time to care for the other loved ones in your family, even if it is just for a few hours of your day.

Make a play date with your healthy child. Pick your child or children up from school, assist them with their homework, or take them to the library. This will be meaningful to them and will also give you some down time to clear your mind.

When my daughter was in the hospital, I was there for weeks on end and I didn’t really leave her bedside. One evening, the doctor came into the hospital room, looked at me and my mom and said, “Grandmas’ can take care of babies too!” He recognized that I needed a break. It was such an important reminder to me that there were other things I needed to do for myself and my family.

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Grandmas’ can take care of babies too! @myhealthspin #childcare #healthcare
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In the midst of caring for everyone else, make sure you don’t forget to care for yourself. If you aren’t caring for yourself, everyone else suffers. Take a few minutes out of each day to do something for your mind and body. Go for a walk outside, meditate, or even read a book. This will make you and your families experience less difficult and more manageable.

Thank you to our readers for submitting that wonderful question.

If you did not get a chance to register for the February webinar yesterday on Unplanned Healthcare, we have two additional times when you can watch the webinar. Tune in HERE on Friday, February 26 at 12 pm EST or Sunday, February 28 at 11 am EST.

Need additional tips for unexpected health concerns? Check out my NEW hands on Workbook When Life Happens: What To Do About Unexpected Health Concerns. This workbook will assist you in planning for all types of unexpected health concerns for you and your family.

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We hope we have helped you SPIN YOUR HEALTHCARE YOUR WAY!

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Father’s Day was always a special time in our home. As many of you know, I was very close with my father who was a United Methodist Pastor. Not only was he the best dad I could ever hope for, but he helped me raise my two daughters as I was a single mom from the time my girls were very little. There was no way to properly thank my dad for his love, attention, caring and constant presence in our lives.

My Dad passed away in 2013 but I feel him with us everyday. In the last years of his life, he struggled with his body not keeping up with his mind. Since I took care of him, it was hard to switch from the daughter, who always had her strong dad by her side, to the caregiver. Dad didn’t like it anymore than I did. But we made our way through the challenges, always having each other.

I learned so much about myself and him through those last years:

1. I learned that neither he nor I had all the answers.
2. There were no “quick fixes” that make a 90-year-old body feel in perfect health again.
3. I learned the meaning behind the statement “take it one day at a time.” Often, we are trying to plan ahead and foresee all potential problems. As my dad aged, planning rarely worked. You have to be happy for what you have that day, as things might change again tomorrow.
4. I learned to cherish being with him, as he was gone much sooner than I wished.

I’m so grateful that we had the time together at the end – to talk, to laugh.

My dad loved poems. When someone came to visit him and when he was in the hospital, he would entertain everyone with poems. I thought I’d leave you with one today.

Climb ‘Til Your Dream Comes True

Often your tasks will be many,
And more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged
And the hills insurmountable, too.

But always remember, the hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with Faith in your heart start upward
And climb ‘Til you reach your dream.

For nothing in life that is worthy
Is never too hard to achieve
If you have the courage to try it
And you have the Faith to believe.

For Faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God’s wisdom and will.

For Faith is a mover of mountains.
There’s nothing that God cannot do,
So start out today with Faith in your heart
And “Climb ‘Til Your Dream Comes True”!

– Helen Steiner Rice (1900 – 1981)

Wishing you all a wonderful Father’s Day!!!!

Did you take care of your parents as they aged?  We’d love to hear from you!

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Check out how more information on caring for a parent in assisted living in our eBook, Easy Healthcare:  Choosing an Assisted Living Facility.

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Our helpful health care links

‘Uber for Nurses’: Chicago Startup Sends Healthcare to Your Home

The popularity of Uber is striking a rise in startup companies looking to provide on-demand services to a variety of fields. One such startup is Chicago-based Go2Nurse, an app that provides people in need with a healthcare professional on-demand.

The Extra Cost Of Extra Weight For Older Adults

Obese people are far more likely to become disabled as they age, and researchers say this burgeoning demographic will strain hospitals and nursing homes.

We hope we have helped you SPIN YOUR HEALTHCARE YOUR WAY!

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How do you make the right decision about moving yourself or a loved one into an Assisted Living Facility without being overwhelmed? How do you even begin talking about it? HealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility” ebook guide gives you all of the practical advice you need to make the right choice.

Available for download, NOW!

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First, it’s important to understand that no assisted living facility will offer one-to-one care. In practical terms, every resident will have to wait some period of time for assistance.

Second, a good rule of thumb to know is that most facilities have one staff member for every six to eight residents. The ratio will be higher during the nighttime hours, with often one staff member caring for fifteen residents. If the facility you are considering has a higher ratio (say, 10 or 12 residents per caregiver during the day), you will want to understand how that workload is managed by staff.

Third, if the facility won’t give you an average number of residents a single staff member cares for, ask what the average response time is to a request for assistance. A typical reasonable timeframe during the day is ten minutes, but that time will likely be longer at night. If that average response time is longer, that facility may not have enough workers to provide the care your loved one needs.

Find out more about how to make the right decisions for your loved one, check out HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility.

Helping you “Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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We hope we have helped you SPIN YOUR HEALTHCARE YOUR WAY!

◊

How do you make the right decision about moving yourself or a loved one into an Assisted Living Facility without being overwhelmed? How do you even begin talking about it? HealthSpin’s “Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility” ebook guide gives you all of the practical advice you need to make the right choice.

Available for download, NOW!

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This decision varies depending on the circumstances.

1. Is the maintenance of the independent living home becoming too much to handle?
2. Are there transportation problems getting to the doctor, the grocery store, and friends?
3. Are there safety concerns about stairs or potential falls?

For my Dad, he was very healthy and independent.  He had no expectation that he would ever need to live in an assisted living home.  Then he began to have unexplainable falls.  We took him to the doctor and surgery was required immediately.  After the surgery, he needed a place to live with very good care and assistance.  He simply couldn’t live in his former home with the bedrooms upstairs and no help.

We talked about the options openly.  Should we have someone live with him?  Should we move him to apartment which could be shared with another senior that would provide company and sharing expenses for extra help with cooking, cleaning, medications and transportation?

It was a difficult decision as he was a very strong independent man who had spent his life as a Methodist minister caring for everyone around him.  He did not like the idea of admitting that he was the one who now needed care.  However, we looked at the options and decided an assisted living home near my house and office would be the best choice for now.  We did not decide it would be the choice forever.  We kept our other options open.

We quickly learned that there was no perfect option, however, we knew we needed some help.

In order to make the transition smoother, we brought some of his precious items from home.  A quilt for the wall from the church, many family photos and his precious desk which made it seem more like home.  He had always been athletic and loved the outdoors and the birds.  We made sure he went outside as often as possible.

The other most important help with the transition was keeping his car at the assisted living home.  My dad LOVED cars!  Even though he could not drive, he knew his car was there.  We had a fabulous “helper” who would come during the week and take him to doctor’s appointments, breakfast, church in his car.  It made him feel like he still had those things he loved and control of his daily life.

For more information about what my Dad and I learned, see HealthSpin’s Easy Healthcare: Choosing an Assisted Living Facility.

Helping you “Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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