Four Eating Issues that Can Point to Other Problems

By Jami D. Eddy | October 21, 2019

Your aging family member might not tell you when some of the little changes around eating happen. You might have to be on your toes to spot some of these issues so that you can determine whether they point to a bigger problem.

She Refuses to Wear Her Dentures

Home Care Monticello, FL: Four Eating Issues that Can Point to Other Problems

If your elderly family member isn’t wearing her dentures there could be a lot of reasons. Often that means that the dentures aren’t fitting properly anymore, which is a problem in and of itself. If they’re causing irritation, she’s not going to be able to chew her food properly and that will cause her to avoid eating. Forgetting to wear them could be a sign of other issues entirely. Ask your elderly family member why she’s not wearing them and then make an appointment with the dentist.

Trouble Swallowing or Chewing
You might start to notice that your senior is only chewing on one side of her mouth or she might be having more trouble with choking. This could mean that she’s not chewing at all. Swallowing issues might cause her to drink a lot more water or other beverages when she does eat. Of course, these issues could cause her to stop eating and as with the dentures, that’s not a good plan. It might be a good idea to start at the dentist and then plan a trip to her doctor as well.

Lack of Appetite
Your senior might not enjoy food the same way that she did when she was younger. She might find that her appetite just doesn’t seem to get stimulated anymore. Sometimes medications are to blame for this because they interfere with how she interprets hunger. But aging adults often find that they’re just not as hungry because their activity levels are lower and other things have changed. Talk to your senior’s doctor about what these changes in her appetite might mean for her so that you can rule out other health problems.

Reduced Fluid Intake
Not drinking enough water is a huge problem for aging adults. This can quickly lead to dehydration and to urinary and kidney problems. Your aging family member should ideally be drinking plenty of water, but you might be noticing that she’s not drinking much of anything. The thirst impulse changes along with the hunger triggers, but she still needs to be drinking fluids. Talk to her doctor and see if you can figure out what might be happening.

Sometimes these aren’t things you’ll notice yourself. Home care providers can help you to spot some of these details that are easy to overlook. Then you can get a solution in place for your elderly family member.

Excerpt: How your senior approaches food and drink can help you see that there are other concerns.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Monticello, FL, please call the caring staff at Hopewell In-Home Senior Care today at 850-386-5552. Providing Senior Care Services in North Florida.

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Jami D. Eddy

Administrator at Hopewell In-Home Senior Care

Jami Eddy is the Administrator and an owner of Hopewell In-Home Senior Care. She graduated from Florida State University in 2005 with a major in criminology and a minor in psychology. Jami has been with Hopewell for more than 10 years and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business.