Whether it pertains to stairlifts or not, when Acorn Stairlifts says that we care about our customers and their well-being, only wanting to give them the best, we mean it.
This also applies to our customers’ overall quality of life.
We want you to lead the healthiest, happiest, and most fulfilling lives possible. We want to see you succeed and reach new heights not only in mobility and independence but in all areas of their lives.
Welcome back to “Acorn Stairlifts Tip of the Week,” a series in which we will equip seniors with all the knowledge, tools, and helpful advice that they need to succeed in their lives—ranging anywhere from physical health, to saving money with senior discounts, and just about everything in between.
Read on to learn about this week’s tip that explains the saying “You are what you eat.”
The Acorn Stairlifts Senior Tip of the Week
Make a conscious effort to practise proper nutrition by consuming enough calories and eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods.
This may seem like obvious advice, but there are several reasons why eating enough calories or getting proper nutrition can be much more of a struggle for seniors than it is for younger people.
Everyone seems to be aware of the fact that as we age, our vision, hearing, memory, and mobility may not be the same as it was when we were young. However, something that we may not think about that also alters as we age is our appetite.
While it may be easy to remember the days in your teens when you were a ravenous animal who could clear a refrigerator with ease, factors related to ageing, such as the following, can make the task of eating as a senior much more grueling:
- Slowing metabolism
- Less physical activity
- Difficulty swallowing or dysphagia
- Loneliness or isolation that decreases the desire to eat
- Weakening teeth
- Fading memory or memory disorders that cause you to forget to eat
- Side effects from medications
- Altering smell and taste
- Hormonal changes that decrease hunger signals
- Gastrointestinal changes that make eating more uncomfortable
- Difficulty or inability to prepare meals
In fact, the phenomenon of a decrease in appetite in old age is so apparent and common that it has even coined the term “ageing anorexia.”
Why is Healthy Eating Especially Important for a Senior’s Health?
No matter what age you are, proper nutrition is always essential to good health, but it is even more vital as a senior, with serious consequences when your body is lacking the fuel it needs to function.
Because elderly people already struggle with health conditions such as deteriorating muscle mass, increased fatigue, and a weaker immune system, a lack of sufficient nutrition can exacerbate these conditions even more or cause other health issues.
Consequently, not eating enough calories to sustain your body or a lack of nutrients in your diet can cause seniors to suffer from the following conditions:
- Muscle loss (sarcopenia)
- Anaemia
- Organ failure
- Fatigue
- Digestive and excretory diseases
- Weight loss
- Frailty
- Neurological and psychological disorders
- Weaker immune system
- Increased infections and sickness
- Falling more often
- Difficulty recovering from illnesses
- Osteoporosis
- Lower tolerance to medication
- Reduced bone strength
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Increased risk of death and hospitalisation
- Exacerbation of any medical conditions or complications
Acorn Advice About Your Appetite
Do you or a loved one struggle to get all of the nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy?
For tips on how to eat more as a senior who has little to no appetite or struggles to chew and swallow food, click here.
If you want to modify your diet to a more health conscious one full of nutritious, immune-boosting foods and aren’t sure where or how to start, click here for some tips that will help you lead a healthier, happier life.