This conversation explores the challenges and strategies involved in caring for aging parents, focusing on nutrition, hydration, and the importance of social eating. Expert Mary Merheim and guest Clare Bayley share personal experiences and practical tips for enhancing the nutritional intake of elderly loved ones, addressing issues such as appetite loss, medication effects, and the significance of making mealtime a social event. The discussion also introduces Grandbars ®, a nutritious snack designed for seniors, emphasising the need for caregivers to approach these challenges with empathy and understanding. Introduction “What do you for an ageing parent who is struggling to eat well”? With people living for longer, greater pressure on the health and social care system and the continued cost of living crisis, the responsibility of supporting ageing parents is increasingly falling on adult children. Recent research from Age UK suggests that one of the biggest concerns people have about supporting an older relative is their lack of knowledge around what to do to help their parents as they age. 6.6 million people aged 40-60 (79%) who are considering caring for or supporting an older parent in the future, worry that they wouldn’t know how to support them Age UK’s research also shows that 3.3 million adults aged 40-60 already currently care for or support at least one older parent with tasks including: taking them shopping or doing their shopping for them (72%)helping with household chores (68%)accompanying them to medical appointments (67%)looking after them if they are unwell (63%) Stepping from the territory of ‘doing a bit of shopping’ to helping with cooking and eating is a delicate balance, and in today’s podcast I will be speaking with nutrition advisor, dementia doula and author of the book ‘Navigating Nutrition in Later Life’, Mary Merheim. Mary was a teacher specialising in Autism until she took time off to look after her elderly father. Her mission became to combat his lack of appetite. She took what he DID want to eat and tweaked it to make it more nutritious. This is how Grandbar ® cakes were born in 2021. and we are joined by guest Clare Bayley, age 51 from Evesham, Worcestershire. A mother of 4 sons (3 adults and 1 age 6!) and grandmother to girl age 4. She is a business owner and has an elderly mother with dementia who is staying in her home while they arrange permanent care. She’s recently experienced difficulty in providing the right nutrition to her mum as her tastes, appetite and needs change. She says “this was I subject area I knew very little about but now feel passion for”. NB: this information does not replace personalised advice from a Health Care Professional Notes: The responsibility of supporting aging parents is increasingly falling on adult children.Understanding the parent-child relationship is crucial in caregiving.Hydration is often overlooked but is essential for elderly care.Appetite loss in older adults can stem from various causes, including medication.Social eating can significantly improve nutritional intake for seniors.It's important to avoid being the 'food police' when caring for ageing parents.Taste preferences change with age, impacting food choices.Finding the root cause of appetite loss is key to addressing it effectively.Grandbar ® offers a nutritious option for older adults struggling with appetite.Caregivers should accept that they won't have all the answers and that ageing is a natural process. Constipation – Although not covered in the episode, it’s also a contributor to poor appetite and worth investigating Further Resources: Navigating nutrition in later life – book by Mary Merheim Mary Merheim | Author, Public Speaker, Good Death Lady and founder of Elderly Nutrition UK The Helping Hands guide for feeding elderly people Best Food For Elderly People With No Appetite | Helping Hands I’m loving creating this podcast, but there are costs with it, so if you could tip me the price of a cup of coffee that would be a big help to creating some more of the fantastic content you’ve been enjoying. https://ko-fi.com/barbarabray36248
