A senior woman sits up in bed with a tray of food on her lap as she struggles with end-of-life changes in appetite.

Navigating End-of-Life Changes in Appetite

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A senior woman sits up in bed with a tray of food on her lap as she struggles with end-of-life changes in appetite.

Understanding end-of-life changes in appetite can help you focus on what matters most – your loved one’s comfort.

As a loved one approaches the end of life, it’s natural to feel that every moment spent together is precious. However, one of the more distressing changes you may observe is end-of-life changes in appetite, which can include declining interest in food and drink. It can be painful to watch them refuse nourishment, leaving you feeling powerless and unsure of what to do. By understanding why these changes occur and shifting your focus to comfort rather than nutrition, you can help make this difficult time more bearable for both you and the person you love. The goal now is to ensure their final days are as peaceful and comfortable as possible.

Why End-of-Life Appetite Changes Occur

At the end of life, the body goes through significant changes. As metabolism slows, the need for calories and nutrients decreases, and the person may lose interest in eating or drinking. Difficulty swallowing, caused by a decline in physical function, can make it harder for them to eat. Additionally, medications or the illness itself may reduce their appetite and affect digestion. These changes are a natural part of the dying process, signaling that the body no longer requires the same level of sustenance as before.

The Emotional Impact on Family Members

Watching someone you love stop eating can be one of the hardest things to experience. Many people associate food with love, nurturing, and care, so it’s only natural to feel a sense of helplessness or guilt when a loved one no longer wants to eat. You may worry that they are suffering or uncomfortable, even though they may not feel hunger in the same way they used to. It’s important to remind yourself that these changes are a normal part of the dying process and that your focus should now shift to their comfort.

Shifting Focus to Comfort

When it becomes clear that your loved one can no longer eat or drink adequately, your goal should be to provide them with comfort. Here are a few ways to help ensure their comfort during this time:

  1. Mouth Care: Keep their lips and mouth moist with a damp sponge or swab to prevent dryness and cracking, which can be uncomfortable.
  2. Favorite Tastes: If they are able to swallow, offering small sips or tastes of their favorite foods or drinks can bring some enjoyment and comfort.
  3. Positioning: Make sure they are in a comfortable position that allows them to sit up slightly, which can make swallowing easier if they choose to eat or drink.
  4. Gentle Touch: Sometimes, simply sitting with the person and offering a gentle touch can provide the reassurance and comfort they need.

Deciding on Artificial Feeding

The decision to use artificial feeding methods, such as feeding tubes or IV nutrition, is a complex and personal one. There are several factors to consider when making this decision:

  • Quality of Life: Will artificial feeding improve their comfort or quality of life? In many cases, it may not and could lead to additional discomfort or complications.
  • Consulting Medical Professionals: Speak with the healthcare team to weigh the benefits and risks of artificial feeding in your loved one’s specific situation.
  • Honoring Their Wishes: Be sure to respect any advance directives or previously expressed wishes about end-of-life care.
  • Less Intervention, More Comfort: Sometimes, reducing interventions can allow for more comfort. Forcing food and drink can lead to bloating, nausea, or even respiratory problems.

Providing Compassionate Care

Allowing your loved one to eat or drink as much or as little as they choose – or not at all – is often the most compassionate choice. Focus on ensuring they are comfortable, surrounded by loved ones, and in a peaceful environment where they can find solace.

Seeking Support

You don’t have to face this difficult time alone. Hospice care professionals, like Harmony Home Health & Hospice, can offer guidance and help fill in the gaps, allowing you to focus on spending meaningful time with the person you love.

Serving Salt Lake City, Ogden, Albuquerque, and surrounding areas in Central New Mexico and Northern Utah, we are here for you whenever you need us. Contact us online or call us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) to schedule a complimentary in-home consultation.

An outline of a person’s brain is filled with healthy foods, indicating the way to overcome malnutrition in older adults.

The Long-Term Risks of Malnutrition in Older Adults

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In our last blog post, we shared some age-related issues that prevent older adults from eating a healthy diet, but can poor eating also lead to cognitive degeneration? Malnutrition in older adults is a lot more common than many people may realize. The National Resource on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Aging notes that 35% – 50% of the older adults residing in long-term care facilities are experiencing malnutrition, and up to 65% of hospitalized older adults may be malnourished as well.

Malnourished seniors are twice as likely to need to see a medical professional and three times as likely to be hospitalized. They also experience decreased muscular mass and have a harder time healing than those with better eating habits. Not only that, but new research highlights the role that healthy eating plays in safeguarding against cognitive decline as well. Healthy Aging and Longevity data reveals an unanticipated link between eating behaviors practiced during the adult years and cognitive decline.

To lower the risk of cognitive deterioration, it is recommended that older adults stick with a diet abundant in fish, grains, veggies, and fruits, while reducing hydrogenated fats.

Special Concerns for Diabetes

It is essential for diabetics to be specifically conscious of the foods they eat. In particular, an older individual with diabetes might experience a decline in memory after a meal, especially if that meal consists of carbohydrate-rich foods, sweet, sugary soft drinks, etc. Although the specific reason behind this problem is not completely clear, the spike of insulin in the brain is a probable factor.

Making good nutritional choices for older adults today can help them reduce the risk of cognitive decline later on. Take these proactive steps to boost the nutrition of a senior loved one:

  • Supply healthy food choices for each meal. For instance, replace simple carbohydrates with complex ones like beans, whole grains, green veggies, etc.
  • Keep blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels regulated.
  • Implement an exercise regimen.
  • Maintain a healthy weight and BMI.
  • Request aid from a dietitian.

Contact Harmony Home Health & Hospice at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE to discover more about how we can help a person you love with customized home health care solutions in New Mexico and Utah. For a full list of the communities we serve, please visit our Service Area page.

A woman grocery shops with her mother, selecting foods that will bolster elderly nutrition.

Top Tips for Overcoming Elderly Nutrition Obstacles

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A woman grocery shops with her mother, selecting foods that will bolster elderly nutrition.

Overcome elderly nutrition obstacles with tips from our home health care experts.

Most of us enjoy a delicious meal – the comforting scents and tastes, the gratifying sensation of a full stomach. For a lot of older individuals, though, a number of health conditions can ‌hinder their enjoyment of meals or even their ability to shop for healthy foods, which can lead to malnourishment in many cases. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has several remedies to some of the most common elderly nutrition obstacles, such as: Read more

Tomatoes and lettuce being prepared for salad

Understanding the Importance of Following a Diet for Healthy Kidneys

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Tomatoes and lettuce being prepared for salad

Following a diet for healthy kidneys is possible and can help relieve CKD symptoms.

As they say, you are what you eat, and for those with kidney disease, it is crucial that a proper dietary plan is followed to decrease symptoms, including an upset stomach, pain, swelling and more. Plus, sticking to a kidney-healthy diet may even delay the progression of the disease.  

What Is a Kidney-Healthy Diet? 

If you’re caring for a loved one with kidney disease, it is imperative to know the best and worst diet for healthy kidneys and to make smart nutritional choices, including: 

Salt 

High levels of salt in the diet can contribute to fluid retention and high blood pressure, and can force the heart to work harder. Salt should be restricted to a maximum of 2 grams per day for those with kidney disease. One way to assist is to avoid serving foods with large quantities of salt, for example: 

  • Nuts  
  • Pickled foods 
  • Canned foods 
  • Processed or smoked meats 
  • Condiments such as soy sauce, ketchup, and barbecue sauce 
  • Chips, pretzels, and crackers 

NOTE: Pay special attention to salt substitutes and “reduced sodium” foods, which in many instances are high in potassium. 

Potassium 

Potassium is a mineral, and is found in practically all kinds of food. Our bodies need potassium to keep our muscles working, but when a person is undergoing dialysis, potassium levels need to be monitored very closely. Receiving too much or too little potassium can result in muscle cramps, erratic heartbeat and weakness of the muscles. The physician or nutritionist can determine how much potassium is ideal for the specific person. 

Protein 

Despite the fact that protein is a vital nutrient, when the kidneys are not performing efficiently, surplus protein can accumulate in the blood. Those with kidney disease should consume no more protein than what is required by the body. When treatment begins early, a diet low in protein combined with essential amino acids at recommended levels during each meal is known to prevent the need for, or at least push back the need for dialysis, and in fact might even reverse some kidney problems. 

Vitamins and Minerals 

People with kidney disease might require additional supplements of vitamins to reduce some of the common side effects of kidney failure, such as bone disease or anemia, but they should only be used if instructed by the doctor. 

For more resources on caring for someone with kidney disease, or to learn how our home health professionals can improve health and quality of life, contact Harmony Home Health & Hospice at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE. We’ll be happy to arrange a free in-home meeting at your convenience to answer all of your questions and provide you with information about our home health services in New Mexico and Utah. 

healthy-meal

Learn the Latest Guidelines for Optimal Nutrition for Older Adults

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Ensure good nutrition for older adults with these tips.

Ensure good nutrition for older adults with these tips.

It’s certainly no secret that a wholesome diet is crucial for a healthy body. What many people don’t recognize, however, is that dietary recommendations for adults are altered as we age. Nutritional experts at Tufts University have developed the MyPlate system, which is a more advanced adaptation of the previous food pyramid, supplying up-to-date guidelines on good nutrition for older adults in particular.

The MyPlate for Older Adults model includes important information on foods that are high in vitamins and minerals and low in salt, sugar, and fat; however, it also gives direction on subjects such as suggested physical activities and fluid intake, issues that are of special concern for older adults.

Due to the fact that activity levels are in many instances lessened, older adults tend to need fewer calories as they grow older, but they also still require equal or greater levels of nutrients and regular activity for optimum health. MyPlate for Older Adults endorses:

  • Brightly-colored vegetables, like peppers and carrots
  • Deep-colored fruits, such as melons and berries
  • Whole, fortified, enriched grains and cereals, like brown rice
  • Low- and non-fat dairy products, including yogurt and low lactose milk
  • Liquid vegetable oils and soft spreads, which contain lower amounts of saturated and trans fats
  • Spices as opposed to salt
  • Liquids such as water and fat-free milk
  • Physical activity, including walking, resistance training, and light housework

Also, other recommendations include taking advantage of choices that are more simplified to prepare and minimize waste, such as bags of frozen pre-cut vegetables and single-portion cups of fruit.

At Harmony Home Health and Hospice, the leaders in elderly care in Salt Lake City, UT and surrounding areas, we recognize it can be a challenge to help older loved ones follow a nutritious diet. Our dedicated home health care team can provide a wide range of skilled care services to optimize senior health. Contact us online or call us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) to learn more about our professional home health care services and to arrange for a free in-home assessment. To find out if services are available in your area, please visit our Service Area page. 

Elderly woman being served a meal.

Ensure Good Nutrition for Elderly Parents by Answering These Questions

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Elderly woman being served a meal.

Learn the red flags that could indicate problems with nutrition for elderly parents.

A mother’s love for her children has no age limit. And parents of all ages want above all else to safeguard their children from problems, which in some cases can mean hiding their own problems. On top of that, when loved ones live at a distance, it can be difficult to really know for certain just how healthy elderly parents are.

One of the main concerns of growing older is the decline in satisfying nutritional requirements. To ensure good nutrition for elderly parents, the following quick evaluation can help detect potential warning signs:

  1. Has the senior revealed a loss of appetite, issues with digestion, or chewing or swallowing difficulties? Has there been a reduction in food ingestion over the past several months as a result?
  2. Has the older adult encountered a weight reduction over the last several months? Losing weight, particularly for seniors with a more inactive lifestyle, can signify that the person is not eating adequately.
  3. Does your loved one have a problem with mobility? Being confined to the home can lead to dietary obstacles, as it is more difficult to get groceries or fix meals.
  4. Has the older adult been under psychological stress or suffered from an acute disease in the past few months?
  5. What is the senior’s body mass index (BMI)? A BMI of 18.5 or lower may signify that the person is not eating enough, while a BMI of 30 or higher can signify obesity. 

If you discover through answering these questions that a senior loved one could be experiencing problems with nutrition, it’s a good idea to consult with his or her primary care physician. Harmony Home Health and Hospice can also help enhance health and wellbeing  for older individuals through a full range of skilled in-home care services like:

  • Medication management
  • Vital signs monitoring
  • Wound care
  • IV and nutrition therapy
  • Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
  • And more 

As one of the leading Utah home health companies, our home health care team is compassionate, background screened and available for as much or as little care as needed. You can reach us online or call our care team at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) to learn more. See our full service area here.