October 20, 2017
Take a second and think back to some of your fondest memories. There’s a good chance that a majority involve food in one way or another. Whether it’s a birthday celebration, Thanksgiving or just a meaningful conversation over dinner with someone you love, food plays a vital role in our lives. That doesn’t change with age. As we grow older, food actually plays a bigger role.
For seniors, good company and a good diet can improve cognitive function as well as treat or prevent common physical ailments associated with the elderly like heart and digestive issues.
As we age, eating habits and nutritional needs can change as our metabolism starts to slow down but our need for companionship never goes away. Being able to share a meal with someone, talk about our day and feel a connection is extremely vital.
There are common causes for the elderly to become isolated. It could be that family and friends don’t live nearby or have passed, or they can no longer safely drive themselves to enjoy dinner outside of the home. Whatever the cause, eating alone can have a marked effect on a seniors day to day health.
In social settings, seniors tend to eat more and make better food choices. Instead of turning to the pre-packaged or frozen foods they might choose out of convenience when eating alone, they pull out their famous lasagna recipe. A warm, friendly environment that stimulates conversation throughout mealtime is almost as important as the taste of the food. When our Caregivers cook and share meals with their clients they talk about their day, share stories and most importantly, create a bond. We often hear that these shared meals become highlights for not only our client, but the caregiver as well.
At Companions for Seniors, we understand the impact a social mealtime has on overall health for seniors and we make it a point of emphasis when it comes to the care we provide. We don’t look at cooking for our clients as a chore, but a privilege and an amazing chance to connect and learn more about the amazing lives they’ve had.
If you have a loved one that could use a home cooked meal and some company, we’d love to be the one’s to provide it. Contact us today through our website or give us a call at (866) 910-9020.
