Near the end of her life, your elderly family member may find that eating isn’t as positive a topic for her as it might have been in the past. There are some things you’ll need to keep in mind.
Foods that Normally Smell Good Might Not Anymore
Smell makes a big difference in how appealing food is. Even if your senior’s sense of smell doesn’t seem to be working in other ways, she may be sensitive to the smells of certain foods. Those foods may be made the same way they always have been, but that isn’t a key factor. If the food doesn’t smell good to your senior, it won’t taste good, either.
Texture and Taste Matter
Besides smells, you also need to worry about taste and texture. Smell affects taste, of course, but the texture can make eating unpalatable or too difficult for your senior. Softer foods that don’t require as much chewing might be a good idea, especially if your senior needs to conserve her energy for other things. She needs the calories from the food, but she doesn’t need to work hard to eat that food.
Be Careful with Sweet Foods
Sweet foods might be initially appealing to your senior, especially since sweet tastes aren’t usually offensive to a sensitive palate. But her digestive system might be a little more uncomfortable with sweeter foods. Whether the foods are naturally sweetened or sweetened with ingredients like sugar alcohols, it’s a good idea to limit them for your senior.
You May Need to Switch to Liquid Meals
You might find that your senior has been having difficulty with any type of solid foods, even softer foods. A liquid diet might be the answer. Broths and soups can give her electrolytes and hydration, which she needs, while also giving her a little bit of the caloric intake she needs. Meal replacement shakes are another idea, but they can be a little sweet.
Don’t Try to Force Your Senior to Eat
Be careful about forcing your senior to eat, also. If she’s not open to eating, there might be reasons. Talk to her doctor about what you can do in order to help her to be as comfortable as possible. This is especially important if your senior has specified to you at some point that she has a preference about food at the end of her life.
Food is a difficult subject at the end of life. Hospice elder care providers can help you to get a handle on what your senior needs and what she can tolerate at this stage of her life.
If you are or a loved one is considering hospice elder care in Smyrna, GA, please call the caring staff at Arcturus Hospice and Palliative Care today. Call 678-383-9973 today to speak to our care team.
Kate Gorinshteyn is the director of marketing at Arcturus Health Care. Arcturus is a fast-growing Hospice striving to provide the highest level of quality care to patients faced with life-limiting illnesses. Our goal is to make each patient as pain-free as possible and give physiological, emotional and spiritual support to both the patient and family. We understand that the decision change from curative to comfort care is difficult, and our team is trained to help you every step of the way!
We are proud to make a difference in the lives of those we serve.