As your loved ones enter their golden years, they may be at risk for eating disorders. Learn the reasons why they develop eating disorders. Moreover, with the following tips, you can help reduce the risk for them and help them have a fulfilling life in their later years.
Reasons for Eating Disorders in Seniors
Your loved one may be at risk of getting an eating disorder when they encounter changes in their life. This may include having an illness, retiring from a job, or losing their loved ones. It may also be caused by your loved ones feeling stressed over being more dependent on others.
Your loved ones may also develop eating disorders as they physically age. They may start to associate losing weight with looking youthful and subsequently develop an eating disorder.
Signs of Eating Disorders
Here are some of the signs that your loved ones are suffering from an eating disorder:
- Frequently skip meals or make excuses to not eat.
- A sudden desire to eat alone.
- View their weight negatively.
- Go to the bathroom often after a meal or start to vomit frequently.
- In more serious cases, your loved ones may become more sensitive to the cold and start to have dental issues, gastrointestinal problems, and hair loss.
Tips to Combat Eating Disorders
Here are some of the ways you can help your loved one combat an eating disorder:
- Persuade them to go for counseling. This can help them resolve their issues for not eating, cope with perceived loss, and boost their self-esteem.
- Encourage them to raise the issue of reviewing their prescriptions and give them access to medications that increase their appetite and address any psychological symptoms.
- Bring your loved ones to visit a dietitian to improve their food intake. In serious cases, your loved ones can take nutritional supplements to help with nutrient loss.
- Consider a senior living community if your loved ones require assistance from others. TerraBella Lake Norman can assist you to ensure your loved ones are eating enough food and nutritious food.
- Serve frequent bite-sized servings of your loved ones’ favorite foods. If your loved one’s sense of smell and taste is impaired, you can use additives to enhance the appearance, aroma, and taste of their foods to increase their food intake.
- Prepare thickened liquids and puréed foods if your loved ones have swallowing difficulties.
- Encourage your loved ones to participate in programs to socialize and eat healthy meals. At TerraBella Lake Norman, our team provides many programs that allow your loved ones to socialize with their heart’s content and eat adequately.
- Encourage your loved ones to rehabilitate their physical strength and improve their overall sense of well-being and sense of independence. This would help increase their food intake.
With these tips, you can make sure your loved ones get the help that they need to get better. However, a professional team can help your loved ones to combat their eating disorders and at TerraBella Lake Norman, we provide personalized care to help your loved ones lead a healthy life.
