Care home dishes up advice on how to support the elderly
A QUORN care home is serving up advice to support older people in the community.
To mark National Nutrition Month, Care UK’s Lonsdale Mews, on Farley Way, is sharing top tips from its free ‘Eating as We Age’ guide, which is packed with practical advice for keeping healthy and even includes nutritious recipes.
The guide covers every aspect of healthy eating, from why older people are more likely to see a decline in appetite, to how to create meals for people who may have lost the triggers that tell us we’re hungry.
Including special recipes that residents at Lonsdale Mews enjoy on a regular basis, from lime and coriander fishcakes, beef stew and dumplings to parsnip and ginger cake – the guide features nutritionally balanced meals with something for everyone to enjoy.
As well as food, the guide also offers information on why people’s appetites change and shares advice for those living with dementia. Where possible, eating should be sociable, fun and stimulating.
Here are Lonsdale Mews’ top tips for supporting older people to dine with dignity:
■ ■The most important meal of the day – preserving independence is so important for someone living with dementia, and where better to start than at the breakfast table? Make sure all items are accessible, pour milk into small jugs and decant items such as butter, jam and marmalade into ramekins. This can help to encourage loved ones to serve food for themselves, if possible.
■ ■Self-serve – Throughout the day, if they are able, give loved ones control over mealtimes by letting them choose from options of what they would like to eat later, supporting them to safely pour their own gravy and custard from a jug, or to help themselves to their own vegetables from serving dishes.
■ ■Time for tea – When making tea or coffee, assess whether someone is able to pour their own tea from the pot or cafetiere. For some, it might only be practical to add their own sugar, but anything that encourages independence is worthwhile.
■ ■Make it social – Sit, eat and talk with loved ones as they dine. This will encourage them to stay seated for longer and to continue to eat or snack.
■ ■Keep it simple – Don’t overwhelm someone living with dementia with too much choice. Ask closed questions. For example, “would you prefer toast or porridge?”, rather than “what would you like for breakfast?”.
Toby Sturgess, Home Manager at Lonsdale Mews, added: “Nutrition is incredibly important for overall health and wellbeing, especially for older people, so we’re pleased to share our tips and advice for keeping nourished throughout National Nutrition Month and beyond.
“It can be tricky for those caring for a loved one to ensure they eat plenty of nutritious meals and snacks, but our guide is packed with recipes and practical tips to help, including keeping as simple as possible, with fewer choices at mealtimes, and having a chat over a cuppa or dinner to encourage loved ones to remain engaged and eat more.
“We’d like to encourage local people to download their own copy of the guide and to reach out to us if they need any further support.”
With warmer weather hopefully on the horizon, Care UK also has a handy guide to help everyone keep hydrated.
For more general information, please visit careuk.com/lonsdale-mews
MEMBERS OF Loughborough Baptist Church are gearing up to a busy and important time over the Easter period.
A spokesperson said: “Festival Times is a time we remember people and at this festival we remember Jesus’ death and resurrection.
“We also want to remember our nearest and dearest, we have a cross of remembrance in our forecourt for the whole of Holy Week.
“There will a service on Maundy Thursday 14 th April from 11.30am – 11.50am when the names of those on the cross tree will be read out.”