It can be heartbreaking to see your elderly parent lose interest in eating. Not only does it take a toll on their health, but it’s also worrying for their loved ones who want them to eat well to maintain good health. But this can be dangerous if they don’t eat enough food to stay healthy and active. One of the best things you can do is find ways to encourage your elderly parent with no appetite to eat more and enjoy their meals as much as possible! So here are some suggestions for getting an elderly person with no appetite to eat:
Make A Schedule
The first thing to do is to set a time for your parent to eat. Set it at the same time every day, and if possible, on the same day of the week as well. If you can’t do that, try for one meal per week at the same time—for example, Wednesday at noon.
The next step is to get your parent into a comfortable meal routine. This will help them feel more comfortable with having food in their stomachs and thus be less resistant to eating later in the day or evening when they are used to not eating much food because they are sleeping.
Once these steps have been taken successfully (and there may be some trial-and-error), try introducing new foods slowly into your parent’s diet and make sure that you do so with enjoyment!
Choose Foods That Are Easy To Chew
If your parent has trouble chewing, cut up his or her food into bite-sized pieces. Try to avoid foods that are hard to chew and swallow. Avoid foods that are difficult to eat because they may cause choking or discomfort while eating. For example, avoid nuts because they have a hard shell that’s very difficult to peel off before eating them and can easily break off in small pieces causing choking risks. Instead of nuts, choose other foods such as mashed potatoes, eggs, yogurt smoothies (without chunks), applesauce with no seeds or skins left on them for easy swallowing without choking risks!
Prepare Foods That Have Pleasing Smells
When it comes to getting an elderly parent with no appetite to eat, the simplest solution is often the best. This is especially true when it comes to making food more appealing. The smellier foods are—the more likely a person is to be attracted by them. This can work for you in a couple of ways:
- Use spices and herbs that have strong aromas. There are many different types of spices and herbs out there, but some have stronger scents than others do; consider using these if you want your dish to stand out as something special. Consider adding rosemary or sage into your soup or stew pot while cooking; they’re two of the most aromatic herbs known today! You could even add some dried lavender flowers if you’re feeling particularly creative! They provide both flavor as well as visual appeal.
Don’t Feel Guilty If Your Own Appetite Is Affected
It’s not your fault. You are not a bad person. You are not a bad parent, spouse, daughter or son or grandparent. It is OK to feel sick and tired all the time. And it is OK if you don’t want to eat much either because you are worried about your loved one.
If you find yourself throwing up after each meal, contact our senior living professionals about this so that they can help you get some support for yourself as well as your loved one in need of caregiving services at home from an agency.
