Proper nutrition is essential for stroke survivors, who may need to modify their diets to prevent additional strokes from occurring. Often, these changes will fall upon family caregivers, who need to understand how to make sure their senior loved ones eat nutritious foods each day during recovery. Here are some of the top nutrition tips that promote better health through nutritious meal planning.
Modify Food Consistencies
After experiencing strokes, it’s common for survivors to have difficulty chewing and swallowing their food. Fatigue can also make it challenging for seniors to finish their meals. Modifying food consistencies by pureeing or cutting portions into small pieces can make it easier for stroke survivors to eat enough food to provide their bodies with the nutrition they need to recover.
Caring for senior loved ones can be challenging for families who don’t have expertise or professional training in home care, but this challenge doesn’t have to be faced alone. Family caregivers can turn to Home Care Assistance for the help they need. We provide high-quality live-in and respite care as well as comprehensive Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care.
Limit Salt & Unhealthy Fats
A diet high in salt and unhealthy fats is a primary risk factor for strokes. Most stroke survivors will be informed by their physicians that it’s necessary to limit these items in their diets. When possible, choose low-salt food products and avoid butter, lard, and fatty snack foods. Instead, replace these with healthy fat sources, such as avocados and vegetable oils.
Seniors can face a variety of age-related challenges. Though some families choose to take on the caregiving duties, there may come a time when they need a trusted Calgary elder care provider. Families sometimes need respite from their duties so they can focus on their other responsibilities, and some seniors need around-the-clock assistance that their families are not able to provide. Home Care Assistance is here to help.
Include a Variety of Fruits & Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, fiber, and folate, which are all known to reduce the risk of strokes. Aim to provide your loved one with at least five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit each day. Steaming crunchy vegetables and pureeing hard fruits can make it easier to consume the recommended number of servings.
Carefully planning a stroke survivor’s menu each day is an effective strategy that can reduce the risk of another stroke while providing the vitamins and minerals he or she needs to recover. Caregivers who are new to healthy eating may benefit from the use of a meal planning service that can provide more tips on how to implement changes in a senior’s diet. By setting their focus on better nutrition, caregivers and their senior loved ones can know they’ve implemented the dietary changes necessary to prevent additional strokes.
Recovering from a stroke, managing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, and a variety of other health-related situations can make it difficult for a senior to continue living at home without someone there to help. Calgary, AB, live-in care professionals are trained to help seniors who need 24/7 assistance. With the help of a live-in caregiver, your elderly loved one can maintain a higher quality of life while aging in place. Trust Home Care Assistance to provide high-quality compassionate, professional home care for your loved one. Call one of our friendly Care Managers today at 403-301-3777.