It's not very easy to retain the pleasure of eating and exercising when age and the health problems associated influence your eating habits and your health. Helping an "old" person to maintain a quality nutrition and to do some exercise is very important in order to live healthily.
If you are close to the person - wife/husband, partner, child, family member or just a friend, this guide is for you. Whatever the state of the person's health you are helping, you must keep the following four essential points in mind: weight, nutrition, hydration and activity level. You must promptly call a doctor if you notice a slight change in any of the following activities.
Be particularly careful if the person in question suffers from diabetes or a health disease. If the person receives food at home, make sure that all the food are eaten.Keep a time table of all the medications the person has to take and at what time and make sure, he/she takes them. A person suffering from Alzheimer has a great risk of suffering from "malnutrition or denutrition".
Four Essential Points To Look After
1. Weight
Ask the person to weigh himself/herself or help him/her if he/she is not capable:
once a month.
several times per week depending on situations like
- in case of high risk of dehydration: high temperature, fever, diarrhea, vomit.
- after an infection, hospitalization or an emotional shock.
- after recent heart problems.
Note the weight in a calendar or a notebook.
Note: Warn the doctor if the person's weight varies by 2 kg or more in a month.
2. Nutrition
Be particularly careful if
* the person is following a diet, which was prescribed by a doctor or he/she is doing on his/her own.
* the person you are helping, eats less fore more than 3 days.
* the person is consuming certain type of food in high quantities like meat, milk and vegetables.
| Health | Top Tips | Nutrition | Lifestyle |
3. Hydration
* Verify that the person is drinking at least 1 litre of water per day.
* Make the person drink a glass of water every time you are present with him/her.
* Make sure she is drinking more water in periods of risk of dehydration: high temperature, fever, diarrhea, vomit.
4. Activity Level
Every decrease in the activity level means a state of fatigue or a decrease in the moral of the person. These are signs of a start of malnutrition. Assure that the person you are helping has:
* a physical activity: walking, gardening, housework.
* intellectual activity or a hobby: reading, boardgames, chess, etc.
* social contact.
As the title states, this is just a simple guide to help the elderly. I will go into details in each point during next week. Helping someone leaves us with a great feeling but helping someone who really needs help is a very noble act.
