It’s crazy to think, but many seniors in America suffer from not eating enough food.
An extraordinary number of seniors, actually.
There are many factors contributing to this problem. And quite a few solutions that could help.
So today, we are going to demystify some of the contributing factors that lead to senior starvation in America. And then, we’re going to offer some plausible solutions, that you can act on today.
Let’s end senior starvation together.
What’s the problem?
In one word: malnutrition.
It doesn’t matter what age a person is. Every human needs a certain quantity of vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, and sugars in their body.
And, to get those important nutrients into our systems, we have to eat.
It’s that simple.
Sadly, many seniors are becoming malnourished, simply because they are not getting enough food into their bodies. And it’s not because they don’t want more food. It’s because, for reasons we will explain in a moment, they are not being given enough food.
Why are seniors not getting enough food?
There are two biggies for this question.
The first one has to do with general care for seniors.
As seniors get older, they become more and more dependent on others for help. Even for daily activities like meal prepping and cooking.
Now, we’re definitely not trying to put any blame on anyone. Because, if anyone knows how hard a job it is to care for others, it’s a home care agency like us.
Caregiving can be chaotic. It can be difficult to keep to a schedule, and keep track of how much food to bring over and when. But, when caregivers get a little mixed up, it means less care for their seniors. And in this case, less food.
Sometimes family caregivers don’t even know that their loved seniors are still hungry. Sometimes family caregivers just don’t realize that the food they’re bringing isn’t enough. And, it can be hard for seniors to have to ask for more, when they know that the family member gives them so much already.
All resulting in seniors becoming malnourished.
Now, the second answer has to do with a larger problem: the economy.
Often times, seniors don’t have a family caregiver they can rely on for food. And in such cases, seniors rely on welfare or other government and community type programs that offer food as charity.
But, and here’s the clincher, sometimes those programs don’t get enough funds. And when they don’t have enough funds, they can’t buy enough food. Which means, that many seniors aren’t able to collect on the food they were banking on receiving.
This proves to be a huge problem for seniors who don’t have anywhere to turn. Which in turn, leads to senior starvation.
What can you do to help with senior starvation?
- Donate to a food program -If you’ve got the extra cash, donating to a food welfare program for seniors is always a huge help.
- Become a caregiver -If you’re someone who’s responsible, then becoming a caregiver can be a great way to directly care for seniors, making sure they get fed.
- Hire a professional -If you have a senior parent or know of a senior who doesn’t have a professional caregiver, it may be wise to reconsider. A professional home care aid is trained to make sure that seniors receive the correct nutrition and medical care that they need.
