MEAL PREPARATION
While we state the importance of seniors remaining independent at home, it’s crucial that this doesn’t come at the expense of general health and wellbeing. Meal preparation is a huge part of this, encompassing everything from healthy eating through to doing the dishes.
Many elders reach a stage where they no longer cook healthy meals, either through a lack of functionality or through becoming disinterested. If left unchecked, the effects of a poor diet can be severe and might even result in forced admission to a residential facility – the very opposite of what an independent senior wants.
A balance needs to be struck between achieving this independence while also receiving appropriate care and support to ensure it is sustainable. If both of these factors aren’t considered, independence may even result in a worsening of any health issues that an elder is facing.
It’s therefore imperative that a senior’s routine at home is supported in the right way – allowing them to live their lives without having to stress about key tasks.
Fortunately there’s a solution in meal preparation services from Bannister In Home Care.
MEAL PREPARATION SERVICES
Take the trouble out of eating healthy with Bannister’s experienced team and a range of services designed to make everything from cooking to cleaning as easy as possible. Our professional carers will come to an elder’s home and take care of any areas where they may be having a bit of trouble.
The importance of a healthy diet cannot be overstated at any age, but as we get older it becomes more important than ever to ensure that our bodies are being fuelled by the very best ingredients. This is because seniors’ bodies absorb fewer nutrients, making the quality of each and every meal count. Older people are also less active, which means the effects of an unhealthy diet will be felt much sooner.
In addition to these factors, ageing can also present issues with swallowing, or changes in taste that may make certain foods appear unappetising. All of these different components combine to make many Australian seniors undernourished, which in turn leads to greater health problems and a greater level of difficulty in remaining independent.
Meal preparations assistance helps with all of these different issues, focusing on each client getting the essentials that they need to stay as fit as possible.
HOW IT WORKS
Like all in home care services provided by Bannister, the type and amount of meal preparation assistance delivered depends completely on a senior’s needs. Some people may only require a bit of help doing the shopping and cleaning, while others may need assistance with cooking and eating. In any scenario, we can provide a tailored service directly designed to take the stress out of meal preparation and allow seniors to focus on enjoying their food.
Some of these services include:
Menu planning
Pantry monitoring
Assistance or supervision with eating and drinking
Food preparation, cooking and serving
Cleaning and maintenance of food areas
While some seniors will need help with many stages of the cooking process, it’s worth keeping in mind that for a lot of people, food is a passion. This doesn’t change as we age, and in reality having an excuse to cook new recipes or have friends over for dinner is a great way to keep seniors socially engaged. With this in mind, it’s important that meal preparation services can support, rather than replace a senior’s own habits – to provide that all-important consistency as they continue to live independently at home.
To facilitate all of these different approaches to meal planning, the process with Bannister begins with an in-depth consultation with your Care Coordinator. During this, we’ll determine everything from an elder’s meal preferences to their required level of care – allowing our team to match up the perfect carer and ensure the right level and type of service is provided.