Do you have an older loved one living alone in Midwest City, and you worry about whether they’re eating right and healthily? If so, it’s a valid concern; according to the Administration for Community Living (ACL), around one in two older adults is at risk for malnutrition.
The good news is that malnutrition in adults (undernutrition or overnutrition) is preventable with properly planned meals. By transitioning to assisted living in Midwest City, OK, your loved one can access well-thought-out meals and personalized meal plans!
In this guide, our team at Morada Midwest City will explore the personalized dining experiences that assisted living community residents enjoy. Read on to discover what they are and how they benefit older adults.
Designed for Optimal Senior Nutrition
As people age, their bodies undergo many changes that impact how they process food and nutrients. For example, according to Healthline, up to 20% of older adults may be deficient in vitamin B12 because their bodies absorb less of it with age. Magnesium deficiency is also common in older adults due to inadequate intake, medication, disease, and reduced digestive function.
Another nutrient affected by age is protein, which the body can no longer process as efficiently as it once did. So, older adults often need more of it, mainly because once they hit 50, their body loses around 0.5% to 2% of muscle mass yearly, according to Medical News Today. Without enough protein, all that age-related lost muscle mass, also known as sarcopenia, can put seniors at risk of frailty.
For those reasons, assisted living communities have expert culinary teams that prepare tasty meals rich in nutrients crucial to healthy aging. For example, each meal has dishes or ingredients from different food groups:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Protein foods
- Dairy
- Grain
- Healthy oils and fats
In our assisted living community, Morada Midwest City, our culinary experts prepare and serve our residents three meals daily. We ensure all our meals have courses designed to deliver well-balanced nutrition to our senior residents. Our residents can also rely on us to locally source and use only the freshest ingredients.
Prepared With Dietary Restrictions in Mind
Aside from changes to older adults’ dietary needs, aging can also result in various food restrictions. The body can’t process and expend these nutrients as efficiently as before, so if consumed in high amounts, they can build up and cause or contribute to health conditions:
- Salt
- Added Sugars
- Unhealthy Fats
- Calories
Likewise, some older adults with existing health conditions should avoid excessive intake of foods rich in the above, as they may worsen their diseases or illnesses.
Here at Morada Midwest City, the health and well-being of our residents are our top priority, so we accommodate their dietary restrictions. For example, if their primary physicians have prescribed a low-fat or low-salt diet, our culinary team will tailor their meal plan to meet their doctors’ recommendations.
Chef-Prepared Meals That Encourage Healthy Eating
Older adults, especially those living alone at home, may not get all the nutrients they need because they skip meals. They may not eat regularly due to mobility issues, which restrict their ability to move around and prepare meals.
Assisted living communities that offer customized dining experiences can help address this problem by giving residents access to chef-prepared meals. Because someone else will always prepare their food (and do a fantastic job), they’ll have fewer reasons to skip meals. Instead, they’ll likely look forward to each meal because they know it will taste incredible since a culinary expert whipped it up.
Varied Menu Options to Appeal to Different Tastes
Seniors can also be at risk of undernutrition due to appetite loss or changes in food preferences. They may want to eat, but the food they want is too challenging or time-consuming to prepare.
At Morada Midwest City, our residents can shape their meals, supported by our talented kitchen team. By providing them with tailored dining options, we give them the freedom and independence to pick those that best suit their taste.
Bringing the Social Back to Dining
Sometimes, living alone may push seniors to cook and eat fewer meals. After all, when they eat by themselves all the time, they may start to feel negative emotions, such as loneliness and isolation.
The best senior living communities, such as Morada Midwest City, can help seniors combat those unpleasant emotions by transforming the resident dining experience into a social thing. In our community, we serve each meal of the day in our beautiful, elegant, and well-lit dining room. So, not only do our residents get nourished with tasty, healthy meals, but they can also enjoy the companionship of their fellow residents and our caring staff.
Our expert staff also schedules regular outings and excursions as part of our community’s social and recreational activities. We take our residents to local restaurants, giving them a change of pace and making dining even more pleasurable. Plus, we take them to local landmarks, attractions, and shops so they can get more exercise while staying social.
Home-Cooked Meals the Way Residents Want
While assisted living communities strive to make the lives of their residents as convenient as possible, they also encourage seniors to do things that will make them feel independent. A perfect example is preparing food at home.
At Morada Midwest City, all our pet-friendly apartment homes feature modern amenities, including a kitchenette with a refrigerator/freezer. So our residents can do some home cooking whenever they want. They can then enjoy their home-cooked meals in the privacy of their apartments or share them with their neighbors.
Visit the Best Assisted Living in Midwest City, OK Today
While everyone, regardless of age, should eat healthily, it’s even more crucial for seniors who face more nutrition-related risks due to advancing age.
So, if you worry about your elderly loved one’s nutrition, now’s the best time to talk to them about the exceptional dining experiences offered in assisted living in Midwest City, OK.
Then, once you’re ready to visit and explore the best senior living community, contact us here at Morada Midwest City. We look forward to taking you on a tour of our warm and welcoming community and all our amenities, including our elegant dining room.
