Information about Nutrition for Your Senior After a Stroke

By Jessica Ott | April 8, 2022 |

How and what your senior is eating after a stroke can help to make a huge difference in her path toward healing. Life can be a lot more difficult than she expects after a stroke and having in-home care services can make your elderly family member’s life so much easier. That’s especially true when it comes to dealing with daily tasks like meals.

Nutrition Always Helps with Well-being and In-Home Care Aides can Help

In-Home Care New Oxford PA – Information about Nutrition for Your Senior After a Stroke

Proper nutrition is always something that your senior needs, regardless of her health concerns. But if she has had a stroke, being able to heal quickly may mean revamping her nutritional intake a bit. If your elderly family member has difficulty swallowing, nutritional meals are still a possibility. It just might take additional assistance to make sure that she has what she needs.

Pay Close Attention to Nutritional Labels

Nutritional labels can be confusing, especially if you’re not used to reading them regularly. But they contain lots of vital information that helps you to know what is in the food you’re feeding your elderly family member. Remember that just because something says it contains “less salt” on the front of the label, that’s just advertising. What you need to look at is the nutritional label, which spells out the amount of sodium per serving.

Eating a Variety of Foods Covers the Nutritional Gamut

You may have heard the guideline to “eat the rainbow” when it comes to nutrition, which is a reminder to eat fruits, vegetables, and other foods in a variety of colors. That’s because those different colors are often associated with different nutrients. For instance, orange foods, like sweet potatoes and carrots, are often high in vitamin A, which is essential.

Aim for Five or More Servings of Fruits and Vegetables

The recommendation to eat five or more servings of vegetables and fruits is an old, but important, one. The big problem for your elderly family member may be that daily tasks like preparing meals may be impossible right now. And fruits and vegetables, even canned or frozen versions, do need some preparation. In-home care providers can help your elderly family member to ensure she’s getting plenty of fruits and vegetables in her meals and snacks every day.

Limit High Fat Foods that Offer No Other Nutritional Benefit

When it comes to recovering from a stroke, your senior needs to avoid anything that might overload her system. And eating a diet that is high in unhealthy fats is not a good plan for her. Healthy fats, like avocados, nuts and seeds, and fatty fish, can be helpful in your senior’s diet because they’re full of omega-3 fatty acids that her body, and especially her brain, need to maintain and repair health.

Talk with your elderly family member’s doctor about what sorts of changes are best for her to make to her current diet. She might be surprised to find that she’s already eating fairly healthfully and only needs to make a few small adjustments.

If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care Services in New Oxford PA, please talk to us. Our friendly staff can answer all of your questions. In-home Senior Care in Adams and York Counties, PA. Call Today: (717) 698-8258.

We strive to provide compassionate and caring services to your loved ones.

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Jessica Ott

Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC

Jessica Ott is the Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC.

A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC is dedicated to providing our clients with a better quality of life through our support services while maintaining their independence in the comfort of their own home.

As a Home Care Agency licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, we can provide families with peace of mind, knowing their loved one is in good hands.

We will work with you to prepare a care plan that incorporates your needs, your wishes, and your preferred schedule. Each client is matched with a caregiver who can best meet their individual needs, whether they reside in a house, apartment, condominium, assisted living, or nursing community.