One of Our Differences – Training our Caregivers in Nutrition

The past few weeks’ posts have all been to discuss Always There Home Care’s differences. One of the most important differences which makes us a good choice when it comes to the care of your loved one is our caregiver training day. During training, our caregivers learn how to talk to seniors, meditation, massage therapy, and today’s topic: nutrition. The nutrition portion of our caregiver training is taught by an RN with a degree in nutrition.

Possibly the most emphasized topic of nutrition training is that caregivers must cater to the client’s culture. The kind of food a client likes often depends on their ethnic background. Some cultures eat rice at every meal, while others eat a lot of pasta. Some people drink a glass of wine with dinner while others drink a cup of coffee afterwards. Nutrition is a very important part of one’s health. As they say, you are what you eat. Therefore, in order to make sure that a client is receiving a well-balanced diet, the caregiver must make them what they like. Asking a client what they would like to eat, rather than just making something and expecting them to eat it, also gives the client a feeling of independence, which is a topic discussed in our “how to talk to seniors” portion of training.

In order to make sure a client is receiving proper nutrition, it is a good idea to give them small portions of all major food groups. Many older adults are on medications or may have some kind of health condition which doesn’t allow them to eat certain things. As a caregiver it is important to be aware of this and prepare meals accordingly. We must also be aware that staying hydrated is essential to staying healthy, so caregivers are encouraged to keep track of a client’s fluid intake. Caregivers should also cater to the physical limitations of the client. By this, I mean that some clients may only be able to swallow soft foods, like soup or oatmeal. No matter the client, the caregiver must be aware of their limitations, their likes and dislikes, their allergies, their cultural background, and their physical condition to make sure that they are eating as well as possible.