Perfect Diet Chart for Elderly People Dealing with Diabetes

Diabetes is not a disease that can be taken lightly. Especially as seniors get older, the risk for the symptoms getting worse increases. Seniors are more prone to suffer from a nutrition deficiency without the proper diet. This is why it is so important to eat right and have a well-balanced diet. Below is a diet plan for seniors living with diabetes.

• Older seniors need 20-30 percent less calorie intake then they did when they were younger and much more active.
• Protein should account for 10-20 percent of calorie intake. For seniors who are recovering from an injury, have an infection or health stresses may need to eat greater amounts of protein and calories.
• Worrying more about the total amount of carbohydrates is much more important than worrying about the source. If foods contain sugar then they can substitute for other carbohydrates in the meal plan.
• To decide how much fat a senior may eat, the nutritionist will weigh the risk of malnutrition to heart disease. If it comes to a low cholesterol diet, the restrictions should be limited to the American Heart Association Step One guidelines.
• Sodium should not be restricted as often, it should be monitored. Seniors taste perception is off and if there is not enough salt they may not eat and possibly become malnourished.
• Monitor fiber intake. Having too much fiber for individuals who are dehydrated or bedridden may cause digestive problems.
• If a senior cannot meet their nutritional needs with a normal solid food diet then pureed foods or supplements may need to be added to the meal plan.

Of course some seniors have Home care assistance and need help sticking to their diet chart. Some things the Senior care services like the kind iCare home health provides can do are prepare and freeze meals so that the seniors are more likely to eat what is already ready. The caregiver can also keep in mind the certain foods to shop for if and when they are doing their grocery shopping for them.

It is important to keep seniors healthy, especially if they have diabetes and sometimes they can’t do it alone. This is what iCare home health is here to provide, in home assistance and long term care.