Why Isn’t Your Aging Family Member Eating?
Have you just discovered that your senior is eating a lot less food and a lot less often than you previously realized? This can be startling, but it might be something that you can help your senior to solve.
Elder Care Cotati CA – Why Isn’t Your Aging Family Member Eating?
She’s Not Moving as Much as She Used to Move
As your elderly family member’s activity levels decrease, her body might respond by also causing her appetite to decrease. This is common and it’s not a sign of major problems in and of itself. But if your elderly family member isn’t moving much at all, this might be a concern. Talk to your senior’s doctor about what her activity levels should be and what you can do to help.
She Doesn’t Have a Strong Daily Routine
When someone doesn’t have a strong sense of their own daily routine, they might not do a lot of things that need to be done regularly, like bathing or eating meals. Your elderly family member might forget to eat, especially if her appetite is also decreased. Helping her to stack habits so that one task leads right into another can help her to not skip certain things.
It’s Difficult for Her to Prepare Meals
Very often it’s become more difficult than your senior wants to admit to prepare meals, especially for one person. This can lead to skipping meals and even to no longer doing things like shopping for groceries. One of the best ways around this is to find another solution for meal prep. Hiring an elder care aide to help your senior can be immensely helpful.
She’s Having Physical Trouble Eating
Is your elderly family member physically able to eat? Problems with chewing, swallowing, and dental care can all create a situation in which your elderly family member finds it impossible to eat, so she doesn’t. This is not sustainable, and you’ll need to work with her medical providers to find a solution.
She Just Doesn’t Want to Eat
This one is a little more difficult. If your elderly family member simply doesn’t want to eat, there may not be much you can do about it. It’s worth talking to her doctor to find out if there is an underlying health condition that’s contributing to the situation. Your elderly family member may have to eat anyway, regardless of whether she really wants to. Her appetite might come back if she does start eating regular meals again.
Going without eating for long periods of time can be dangerous for your senior, so it’s important to try to understand what’s really happening.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Elder Care Services in Cotati CA, call At Your Service Home Care. Call today! (707) 573-1003
She became a discharge planner and immediately fell in love with the concept of home care and the autonomous clinical practice it affords nurses. Dr. Lucy was hooked and has been a strong supporter of home care ever since.Believing people need advocates in healthcare systems, she has championed that cause across the acute care and post-acute care setting.
Dr. Lucy has worked in every aspect of home care from Medicare Certified, DME, Infusion, Hospice and finally Private Duty/Private Pay services. She also works as a home care consultant across the country and as a legal nurse consultant for the home care industry.
Having worked in all areas of home care, Dr. Lucy has a well-rounded perspective of the challenges facing patients, families and the home care industry, and as a provider she advocates for patients through the maze of health care services. Dr. Lucy celebrated over 37 years as a nurse and patient advocate.
Dr. Lucy has a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois.In 1994, she received her Masters of Science in Health Service Administration from St. Mary's University, Moraga, California. Dr. Lucy received her Doctor of Nursing Practice awarded in 2016, graduating with Distinction and a 4.0 GPA.
She did her doctoral work on the global dementia crisis, aging and prevention strategies for healthy living. Developed dementia and Alzheimer's disease plans for aging patients leaving the hospital setting or entering long-term care or home health and hospice environments. She also developed a specialized program for those at risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
In 1992, Dr. Lucy was designated CAHSAH Certified Home Care Administrator in the inaugural offering of this designation through the California Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH).
She is the founder and CEO of Creative Solutions Home Care Consulting Services and At Your Service Nursing & Home Care, a concierge nursing & home care agency that provides the services she believes are essential for seniors to age in place.She offers a higher level of care allowing people to be in their own homes with an emphasis on independence, safety, and quality of life.
Dr. Lucy is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) and sits on the Board of Directors for California Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH).
She has served on the boards for both state and national board associations, and is currently on the following boards and committees: Board of Directors, California State Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH), 2002-present, National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC's) Private Duty Home Care Association Director, and multiple state and national home care committees.
Dr. Lucy goes to Washington, DC, several times a year to advocate for senior services and home care issues. She was past Commissioner for the Sonoma Commission on Human Rights.She is past chair of the local Senior Advocacy Services.
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