Seniors and Nutrition: Promoting Overall Health

Health Eating for Seniors  |  May 17, 2021

What Every Senior in Victoria, BC Needs to Know About Promoting Overall Senior Health with Balanced Nutrition

Seniors and Nutrition | Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is essential for maintaining good health and an elevated quality of life in golden years. According to the National Institute of Aging, good nutrition plays a pivotal role in boosting overall health, acuity, and longevity, while keeping a range of chronic illnesses at bay.

With the support of a family member or a professional caregiver, older adults can reap a plethora of health benefits when getting proper nutrients.

Some of the most common benefits of eating a well-balanced diet in golden years include:

• Stronger immune system and better protection against illnesses
• Increased energy levels
• Increased mental sharpness and reduced risk of developing cognitive issues
• Reduced likelihood of mood swings and depression
• Reduced risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol when eating more low-sodium and low-fat foods
• Maintaining an ideal weight
• Reduced risk of developing diabetes
• Improved digestion and regularity of bowel movements
• Decreased risk of macular degeneration that can lead to vision loss
• Decreased risk of some types of cancer
• Strengthened bones
• Improved cardiovascular health
• Younger-looking, healthier skin
• Easier recovery from illness or surgery

Seniors Living Alone Are Often at a Greater Risk of Being Undernourished

Many older adults who live alone find it difficult to prepare healthy meals as often as they used to. This may happen because of various age-related issues such as chronic conditions, mobility issues, or physical limitations that make meal prep too strenuous or physically impossible to perform.

Unfortunately, seniors left to their own devices resort to eating unhealthy, processed, but easy-to-make foods more often than they should. Opting for unhealthy foods can lead to malnourishment and put your loved one at a higher risk of developing serious health complications.

That being said, the common effects of undernourishment in seniors are:

• Increased risk of digestive, lung, and heart complications
• Mental confusion
• Worsened symptoms of existing medical conditions
• Diminished strength, muscle mass, and body weight
• Anemia, or low red blood cell count
• Moodiness and depression
• Blood clots
• Post-surgery complications
• Increased risk of hospitalization
• Diminished efficiency of prescribed medications
• And more

At Comfort Keepers® Victoria we feel that home is the best place to be.

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help with 24-hour care, post-surgery care, senior living transition services, and much more! 

Comfort Keepers® Victoria Can Help with Seniors and Nutrition

Comfort Keepers®’s trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Our philosophy is to elevate the human spirit and our caregivers will be there every step of the way to ensure your loved one has a better quality of life. Empathetic care is care that starts in the heart, and it allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. Learn more about our unique service which offers personal care, companionship care, palliative care, and end-of-life care by contacting the Comfort Keepers Victoria office.

Comfort Keepers® Victoria is proud to provide home care throughout Victoria that keeps seniors safe in their homes. We provide home care for the seniors of Victoria and the surrounding areas of Colwood, Saanich, Sidney, James Bay, and Oak Bay. 

Please call (778) 265-5999 and learn how your loved ones can receive compassionate, professional in-home care.

Comfort Keepers® Victoria has been accredited with Exemplary Standing with Accreditation Canada. Accreditation is an intensive process in which an organization’s processes, policies, and procedures are examined by industry experts against a set of quality standards. To achieve accredited status, Comfort Keepers offices met or exceeded the rigorous standards for Home Care companies, as defined by Accreditation Canada.

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