Every February is National Hot Breakfast Month, which might get you thinking about is breakfast really important for your senior? Lots of seniors may not be eating breakfast at all, much less a warm one. People who eat breakfast tend to be more alert during the day and make better dietary choices throughout the day. With the help of home care assistance, eating breakfast every day might be an achievable goal for your senior.
Why Is Breakfast Such a Big Deal?
The name of breakfast shares why breakfast is really important for your senior. When she eats breakfast, she’s breaking her overnight fast after sleeping. Having breakfast gives your elderly family member energy that she needs to get her day started off properly. But your senior might not be excited about eating breakfast.
Seniors and Breakfast
If your aging family member is less active than she used to be, she may be eating less often period, not just skipping breakfast. But there are other issues, too. Your senior may find it’s difficult to decide what to eat for breakfast and then it can be a challenge to even make anything for breakfast. This is especially problematic if she’s having trouble cooking other meals as well.
Nutrition Is Vital
The most important thing to remember for your senior is that nutrition is vital. As she ages, her immune system, her organs, and her entire body need nutrients in order to maintain her overall health. If she’s eating foods that aren’t high in nutritive value, her body isn’t getting what she needs. By emphasizing breakfast, your elderly family member has another opportunity to get more of the nutrition her body has to have.
Eating a Healthy Diet Is Easier with Help
Anything that is challenging for your senior is easier with help, of course. The same is true for eating breakfast more regularly and eating healthier overall. Home care assistance can make it so much easier for your elderly family member to eat healthy meals. They can work with her dietary needs to help her to hit the guidelines that she needs to hit.
Talk to Her Doctor
If you’re not sure what your senior needs in terms of nutrition for her current health and stage of life, it’s a good idea to talk with her doctor. Taking the time to drill down into what types of food your senior needs can help ensure that she’s addressing her nutritional needs. This information helps you and elder care professionals to put together meal plans that work for your senior’s needs.
Some seniors just never have liked eating breakfast and feel as if they can never eat first thing in the day. One solution that can help is to rethink what a hot breakfast needs to look like. If she really dislikes breakfast foods, any other balanced meal can substitute in for breakfast foods. In the end, fed is best, so it doesn’t hurt to experiment with what your elderly family member is more willing to eat first thing in the morning.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Care Assistance in Verona, WI please contact the caring staff at Agape Senior Services Madison today. (608) 841-1004
