Helping seniors eat better

With seniors now the fastest growing cohort in Canada, we are starting to see action being taken to focus on their needs.

In this year’s federal budget, the government allocated money for a research study in New Brunswick called the Healthy Seniors Pilot Project. This aims to examine, and test, initiatives that could then be used by governments across the country to offer better support for seniors. The project will also seek to look at the ongoing impact to Canada of an aging population.

With more and more Canadians reaching retirement age, and living longer, the race is on to have a strategy that addresses the issues being faced by seniors on a daily basis. Those frequently include loneliness, mobility and malnutrition.

The mandate of the project seeks to discover the different challenges being faced by women and men as they get older. Women make up the majority of seniors over the age of 65.

The goals include reducing health inequalities and encouraging healthy lifestyles. This project is being seen as an important first step but for it to have a lasting impact it will require collaborative action at all levels of government.

Researchers already know that most seniors want to remain in their own homes. But how can that be achieved without putting a person’s quality of life at risk?

In the latest census from Statistics Canada, many more seniors were found to be living alone. What the figures cannot tell us are the implications of this.

Health experts say the psychological effect can be substantial. Daily occurrences that took place for decades may have been lost. Things like time spent eating together are no longer part of a routine. That change can be significant and not easily replaced.

Seniors often remark about the amount of work involved in cooking for one. As such, meals can become an afterthought and dietary concerns are ignored.

DIET SHOULD BE A PRIORITY

All seniors have to recognize, as they age, their dietary needs are constantly changing, and to maintain a healthy lifestyle they must eat appropriately.

At present, many are not adapting to the nutritional requirements their bodies need. Case in point, roughly 40 per cent of seniors admitted to hospital for other conditions are also found to be malnourished — this is a much higher rate than exists for the general public under 65 years of age.

Registered dietitian Andrea Olynyk believes the key is education. She fears too many people find information about nutrition off the internet and assume it is always correct. This can lead to making decisions about diet that are not always healthy. And sometimes, the advice from a well-meaning family member can be counterproductive.

For seniors, eating well can have life-saving implications.

The menu designed by Heart to Home Meals is based on research into what type of foods are best suited for seniors. Not just nutrients, protein, etc., but also in terms of taste. As we get older our palate changes, and Heart to Home Meals focuses on meals that seniors will enjoy eating.

Meals can be ordered online or on the phone and, in most cases, the items are delivered free of charge.

The convenience of Heart to Home Meals means seniors have tasty meals readily available, ensuring they have an easy opportunity to eat well. And for friends and family, this also offers peace of mind that good food is conveniently at hand in the freezer.

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This story was provided by heart to home meals for commercial purposes.