The Importance of a Good Diet for the Elderly

As you get older, your body’s needs change – you may require fewer calories, particularly as you become less active, or you have conditions which may require you to follow a certain diet.

Here Baxendale Care Home, a long-term care home in North London, look at what kinds of foods the elderly should be looking to eat – and (just as important), not eat, or not eat so much of – to ensure that you enjoy a long and happy retirement.

Fruit and Vegetables

Everyone should be looking to eat their ‘five a day’ of these and the elderly are no exception. Fruit and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fibre, which keeps your digestive system fit and healthy. They also help cut down the risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and are also low in fat and calories (provided you don’t roast or stir-fry them).

A good intake of fruit and vegetables is also sound advice is you have any form of dementia (Baxendale also functions as a dementia care home in Whetstone, with a separate specialist care unit for those with the condition).

Dairy Products

It’s important to keep up your consumption of dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt (although you should opt for low-fat versions where possible). This is because they are primary sources of calcium, which can keep your bone density levels high – this will reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and of broken or brittle bones, which is a particular problem as you get older. Other good sources of calcium include leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and soya beans.

Vitamins

Some of these occur naturally, such as Vitamin D, which helps with teeth, bones and muscles and it occurs naturally in sunlight. However, it may be worth taking a supplement during the winter months when you can’t get out as much (and this particularly applies to the elderly).

Citrus fruits in particular are a good source of Vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron, which in turn helps with your body’s oxygen supply, something that is again extremely important the older you get.

Drink Lots (But Not Too Much Alcohol)

It’s important to stay well hydrated. Drinking enough fluids can help prevent constipation and reduce confusion this is because your body functions better when you’re properly hydrated. At the same time, as you get older your sense of thirst becomes less acute; if you don’t drink enough then you may become confused, irritable, have more headaches, and find it difficult to concentrate.

Ideally, an adult should drink six to eight glasses of water every day (although milk, juice, or tea also rehydrate the body). However, don’t drink too much alcohol as it can contain quite a few calories (which again you may find it more difficult to get rid of, leading to weight gain). And while it can be a sociable thing to do, bear in mind your medication may not work so well (or have some unwanted side-effects) if you have been drinking alcohol.

What to Avoid

There are some foodstuffs which you may be better off either cutting down on or avoiding altogether. Sweet or sugary snacks can be tempting, but remember that your body may not be able to ‘burn these off’ as quickly as you get older.

The same applies to processed foods, savoury snacks and ready meals – these can all be quite high in fat, sugar and salt. All of these have been linked to heart disease, some types of cancer, high blood pressure, strokes, obesity and tooth decay. If you do eat these, then try to make sure that it’s only occasionally and as part of a balanced diet.

Equally, in some cases, vitamins can do more harm than good. For example, if you have too much Vitamin A then you could be increasing your risk of bone fractures; it’s commonly found in liver and pate, so if you do enjoy either of these, try to have smaller portions.

At Baxendale Care Home, we have all the medical expertise on hand if you are worried about anything – you can either register with a local GP or the home’s own – so talk to them, or members of the staff, about your diet and conditions if you have any concerns.

Baxendale Care Home – a Long-Term Care Home in North London

Another reason you don’t need to be too worried about your diet if you stay with us is because the five-star rated kitchen at Baxendale means that everyone is well catered for, whatever their age or medical condition.

Our food is all freshly prepared on site every day, with hot and cold options always available. Our chef always takes account of any allergies or medical conditions when he tries to satisfy every palette.

If you’d like to know more about our catering arrangements, follow this link. You can also call us on 020 8445 1127.