Food for elderly lady with very restrictive diet.

eaticecream
eaticecream Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
My grandmother is a frail old lady. She is the epitome of skin and bones, weighing a mere 90 pounds with her height of 5'5''. I seriously worry for her as she is frequently unwell and has many diet restrictions. She has a pretty severe acid reflux problem, a high cholesterol problem, digestive problems and a stubborn mindset for trying foods we suggest. Amongst the list of things she won't touch are pork, beef, dairy products, and eggs. I feel like the things that are the best to help her gain weight are then things she can't eat. The past few weeks, she's been in bed because of stomach problems. She claims to be experiencing an uncomfortable bloating sensation in her stomach and I really don't know what to do anymore.

Replies

  • jakkisr
    jakkisr Posts: 175 Member
    how old is she? is she on particular medications? (some foods need to be avoided with certain medications)

    It can be very difficult to change someones mindset and habits and quite stressful for an elderly person. She has to want to do it for herself really, though there's no reason why you can't gently show her the way by perhaps cooking something nice for her that she likes? Perhaps some chicken with a good helping of fresh vegetables (ones she likes to start with!)

    Fish is always good and is gentle on the tummy.

    As she won't touch dairy perhaps she might try a probiotic drink like Actimel instead of yogurt?

    In my experience once they're set in their ways it's very hard to get them to change especially when they're feeling unwell anyway. The best you can do is talk to her, find out what foods she actually likes, then work out a healthy plan for her that is easy for her to do. You could stock up on some ready-meals for her (healthy choice ones) just to get her to eat. Low cholesterol, high fibre, calcium (from beans, spinach, green vegetables).

    I've also found that the older they get, the more they seem to hanker after the comfort foods of their childhood - that might make a really nice conversation you could start to sneakily find out what she likes :) and she'd probably enjoy the memories too :)

    good luck!
  • FitMrsR
    FitMrsR Posts: 226 Member
    Ensure? I'm not sure if it has dairy or not...maybe something like that? My grandma used to drink it because she couldn't eat much either.
  • pennydreadful270
    pennydreadful270 Posts: 266 Member
    The most important thing is she enjoys what she's eating. She won't gain weight on food she struggles to get down.

    As others have said, you can try something calorie dense like ensure to supplement. They do fruit style and soup style as well as the milky shakes, so if you speak to your pharmacist maybe they can find something she likes.

    The bloating she is experiencing may be constipation, common for elderly people. In that case the sort of food we commonly think of as a healthy robust diet - raw veg, nuts, tough unprocessed grains etc.. may actually make her feel worse because they are tough to process and her GI system is moving slower (which is normal). She might be better off with well cooked veg and grains like in soup, and small meals throughout the day.
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    what does she like to eat? that's where i would start - and try and enrichen what she is eating. Also -does she not eat ANY dairy at all? does she like baked goods - like cheese cake? how about ice cream? could you try making smoothies or milk shakes?

    Also - is she under medical care? what does the doctor say?
  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523 Member
    Is she on Omeprazole or similar for her re-flux issue?

    I can only imagine nuts, avocados, olive oil amongst other things for healthy high cals.

    Must admit the whole bed ridden with stomach problems would definitely send me to the doctor. I don't know how old your Nana is but is surgery for the acid a possibility?
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    I dont really have any good advise but my cousin is a nurse and she always said the older people like small portions if you gave them to much at once they wouldnt even try it soooo maybe small portions and often ?? A list of what food she likes and can eat would be helpful. Would she try soya products or can you sneak some dairy / eggs into her diet ... Know that sounds bad but if its not for ethical or health reasons I dont see the harm in it ... i sneak stuff into my partners food all the time that he "dosnt like" but because he dsnt know its there he eats it fine lol
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    At a BMI of 15 should she not be under medical supervision for this ?
  • ecdce
    ecdce Posts: 129 Member
    What do her doctors have to say about this? I find my grandparents eat much better when the food is already prepared for them and they aren't eating alone. My first thought would be something sort of nostalgic, like for my grandma it would be chicken and dumplings. Thick, roux-based soup with lots of chicken and veggies topped with big dough balls that get cooked in the soup liquid. Its hearty, and filling, and high in calories. But, that's obviously only nostalgic to people raised on it. What sort of food did your grandma eat growing up? Maybe there is a meal she would enjoy that she hasn't had in a while.

    But, her tummy issues (untreated?) may make a heavy meal impossible. She may be better of with light, nutritious meals that she can keep down and won't make her dread eating. Supplemental drinks that others have mentioned probably wouldn't be a bad idea.
  • murdie
    murdie Posts: 85 Member
    Ensure or Boost have no dairy and are full of needed nutrients. We give it to folks at the nursing home all the time. It is pretty calorie dense and comes in flavors.There are medications to help the reflux and to help stimulate the appetite, sounds like she needs to see her MD.

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