Returning home from the hospital to recover is a critical time for aging adults. Paying attention to proper nutrition is especially important because the body needs fuel in order to regain strength and to heal. Hospital to home transition care can help families to find the tools and solutions they need to help seniors recover and to eat healthy meals.
Nutritional Needs During Recovery
After a hospital stay, senior bodies are focused on healing and that requires nutrients and energy. The easiest place to get both is from a balanced and healthy diet. Some of the big nutritional needs include plenty of protein, vitamins and minerals, fiber, and healthy fats. These nutrients help with immune function and muscle repair. Healthy fats help with reducing inflammation as well as overall health.
Easy-to-prepare, Nutritious Meals
While they’re recovering, seniors are likely to feel fatigued and may not have the energy to prepare meals. Hospital to home transition care can help families find solutions like elder care providers who can assist with making healthy meals that are easy for seniors to eat as they recover. Options like bulk cooked meals divided into single-serving containers can be easy to grab and heat.
Hydration and Digestive Health
It’s particularly important for seniors to focus on getting enough fluids when they’re healing. Water and other clear fluids, like broth-based soups, help seniors to avoid dehydration and also ensures their bodies have what they need to support digestion and help recovery. Dehydration can slow down the healing process, which is not great after a hospital stay.
Special Dietary Needs
Some seniors may need special diets after they return home. They might need to reduce their sugar or salt intake, or avoid gluten. Some seniors may have developed food allergies or need to avoid certain foods to make their recovery easier. Hospital to home transition care helps families understand these special dietary needs and plan for adjusting their seniors’ diets.
Portion Control and Appetite Management
Once they’re home from the hospital, seniors might experience changes to their appetites. They may have a decreased appetite or find themselves overwhelmed at the thought of eating at all. Smaller meals and snacks eaten more often can help them to get the nutrition they need without having to focus on a full plate of food all at once.
Support for Eating Difficulties
Seniors may also have other trouble eating after a hospital stay, like trouble swallowing. Hospital to home transition care can help families coordinate care with occupational and speech therapists to work on those issues. Home care providers can help with eating difficulties, making sure that seniors have supervision during meals and help with the physical act of eating.
Emotional Support During Meals
Eating is very often a social activity for many people and once seniors are home from the hospital, they may find it to be difficult to care about eating when they’re alone. Having meals with other people can help a lot, even if that other person is a professional caregiver there to assist with other tasks.
Healing is a complicated process and seniors need all the nutritional support they can get. Hospital to home transition care works with families to get them the education and the hands-on assistance they need to keep seniors properly nourished while they recover.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Hospital to Home Transition in Madisonville, LA, please contact the caring staff at BrightCare Homecare today at (985) 224-0404
BrightCare Homecare is a top provider of home care services in the Northshore areas including Mandeville, Covington, Madisonville, Hammond, Ponchatoula, Slidell, Lacombe, Abita Springs, Goodbee, St. Tammany Parish, and more.
Through a personalized care plan, BrightCare Homecare provides the necessary services and care to cater to your unique personal and health needs. With us, we ensure around-the-clock services and supervision to help achieve optimum health and wellness.
We are a top provider of home care services in Lafayette, Youngsville, Broussard, New Iberia, Breaux Bridge, Carencro, Opelousas, Sunset, Crowley, Abbeville, Scott, Cecilia, Port Barre, Iota, and the surrounding areas.
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