One of the reasons why so many seniors are impacted by malnutrition is that shopping can be quite difficult for seniors. If your senior loved one is having trouble shopping they may put off going or only go to the corner store where they can get quick processed foods rather than going to a full grocery store for fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other items. Home care make it much easier and less scary for seniors to shop so they are more likely to shop for healthy foods and actually enjoy shopping as a chance to get out of the house and socialize. 4 ways that a home care provider can make shopping easier for seniors include:
Managing Money And Lists
Seniors may be too intimidated to shop for food because they are confused about money and have trouble making grocery lists. It’s not unusual for seniors to become confused when it’s time to pay for their purchases. They may not understand how much money they need to pay or they may be worried about overspending. When a care provider goes grocery shopping with your senior parent they can help your senior parent make a detailed list of what items they need and want. Then they can make sure that your senior parent gets all the items on the list. And at the checkout they can help your senior loved one with their money and make sure that they aren’t intimidated or worried about the checkout process.
Walking Around A Large Store
Grocery stores have gotten bigger and bigger and now some of them are massive. Even seniors who don’t have any real mobility limitations can get tired walking around huge big box stores. When your senior parent has a companion shopping with them they may feel less embarrassed about having to sit down and take a break or using a motorized shopping cart that allows them to ride instead of walk around the store. A care provider can do the hard work of pushing the cart too so that your senior loved one doesn’t get tired. Those carts can be heavy when they are full of food.
Lifting Heavy Items
Another problem that seniors often have while shopping is lifting heavy items from the shelves and putting them in the cart. The carts are deep and it can be awkward to reach down to put an item in the bottom. Seniors can benefit from having a companion that will lift heavy cans, large bags of rice, juice, milk, and other heavy bottles, and large packages of meat.
Carrying Bags
Once the shopping is done the heavy bags need to be loaded into the car, then unloaded at home and all the items put away. That can be exhausting for a senior, but easy for a home caregiver. With home care your senior loved one will get what they need to eat healthy and nutritious meals so that they can stay healthy for a long time.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Care in Queens, NY please contact the caring staff at Prime Care, Inc. today. (212) 944-0244