Making sure a parent is eating well is one of the most common reasons families contact us. Cooking for one, a smaller appetite or forgetting a meal can all add up. Small changes, and a bit of company at mealtimes, can help.
Signs to look out for
The NHS says people aged 65 and over are particularly at risk of not getting enough nourishment, and that weight loss is not an inevitable part of getting older. The Malnutrition Task Force adds that it can happen even to people who look overweight.
-
Clothes, belts or jewellery getting looser
Unintended weight loss is one of the main signs. Loose dentures can be another.
-
A smaller appetite
Less interest in food and drink, or meals left half eaten.
-
Tiredness and low mood
Feeling tired or weaker, feeling cold most of the time, or seeming low.
-
Slow to recover
Getting ill often, or taking a long time to get over an illness or for cuts to heal.
-
Shopping and cooking becoming an effort
Kirsty’s tip: a fridge with little fresh food, or food past its date, can tell you a lot.
Why it matters
Not eating enough makes illness and infection more likely, slows recovery and wound healing, and reduces strength. The Malnutrition Task Force and the British Dietetic Association both point out that it also raises the risk of a fall.
Simple ways to help
-
Little and often
Age UK suggests six small meals and snacks a day, rather than three big meals, for someone with a small appetite.
-
Make every mouthful count
The British Dietetic Association suggests adding nourishing ingredients to everyday food and drinks, so there is more goodness without a bigger plate. Age UK suggests a full-fat milky drink and a biscuit or snack between meals.
-
Keep drinks going
Age UK suggests six to eight glasses of fluid a day, and milk, soup, tea and coffee all count. Dark urine, dizziness and a dry mouth can be signs of dehydration, and older people are more at risk.
-
Eat together
The British Dietetic Association notes that eating with others can help people eat better.
When to see the GP
The NHS says losing 5% to 10% or more of body weight over three to six months, without trying, is one of the main signs of malnutrition, and a reason to see the GP. Going along to the appointment can help your parent explain what has changed.
Age UK also lists difficulty chewing or swallowing and loose dentures among the things that can stop someone eating well, so mention them to the GP too.
Meals delivered near you
Around Sturminster Newton, the Friends of Stour Connect deliver hot meals Monday to Friday, with chilled or frozen meals for the weekend, to villages including Marnhull, Stalbridge and Child Okeford, and to Shaftesbury. A main meal is £6.50, or £8 with a pudding, with no contract.
In Somerset, the Citizens Advice food map lists community cafés and lunches, such as the Monday Chat Café at The Balsam Centre in Wincanton. In Wiltshire, Age UK Wiltshire delivers meals with a wellbeing check. For other delivered meals, ask the council’s adult social care team.
Meals on Wheels, Friends of Stour Connect
Hot meals Monday to Friday around Sturminster Newton and Shaftesbury
How Aurora can help
Meals are a big part of many of our visits. Carers plan the week’s meals with your parent, do the shopping, cook something fresh and check the fridge for anything past its date. Just as often, the most useful thing is sitting down to eat together.
In Sturminster Newton, a couple we support now have a fresh lunch cooked every day. In Mere, Sara is eating much better now meals are prepared for her.
