The Importance of Meals for Senior Citizens Who Live Alone

 

When Singapore enacted its stay-at-home measures for 2 months, a survey done by the Singapore Management University found that the social satisfaction levels for senior citizens dipped by about 4%. Among those affected, senior citizens who were living alone felt the greatest impact.

It’s not hard to imagine why – the senior citizens who lived alone either relied on their family members to visit or they met their peers within their neighbourhood while they go about their daily routines. However, during the stay-at-home measures, family members were discouraged from visiting their elderly family members. Furthermore, senior citizens were encouraged to stay at home more often to minimise their risk of contracting the virus. With such sudden disruptions to their daily routines over a prolonged period, many senior citizens have found it difficult to return to their daily lifestyles.

Thus, more than ever, we need to check in with our senior family members, especially if they’re living alone. Senior citizens who live alone are often at greater risk for malnutrition due to multiple factors.

As we get older, our metabolism slows down, and because we need fewer calories for our daily activities, our appetite decreases. If your family member is on medication for health issues, the medication can affect their appetite too. They may also experience swallowing difficulties due to age-related muscle loss.

Some seniors who live alone may opt to prepare the simplest meals that are convenient to them. They may end up using more pre-packaged or frozen foods, or takeaway meals from the hawker centre nearby. Because eating healthily can be costly, it can be hard for seniors who are facing financial constraints. In the worst-case scenario, they may sometimes skip meals altogether. In the long term, these factors can lead to their poor health.

If you feel that your elderly family member who lives alone may be at risk for malnutrition, the best way to assess the situation is to schedule meals together with them. Hosting a family gathering at least once per week can help to ensure that our elderly family members are having a proper meal that day. Plus, we can also help them make better food choices that provide them with the nutrients they need.

In addition, having a meal with our elderly family members can help with their mental well-being too. Seniors who live alone cite that the lack of companionship during their meals is one of the difficulties that they face at mealtimes. By scheduling meals with our elderly family members, we help them to view mealtimes as an enjoyable activity. Moreover, seniors who stay socially connected tend to live longer and experience fewer health problems.

With our busy lifestyles, it may seem difficult to enjoy a shared mealtime with our family, especially considering the preparation that’s needed to plan and cook a meal. You can turn to order Tingkat catering to fulfil your needs for healthy homecooked meals for the whole family. There are many Tingkat caterers like Le Xin Catering that offer healthier catering options with less salt and cholesterol with no added MSG. As one of the best Tingkat in Singapore, Le Xin Catering also offers Tingkat delivery to condos, so you can enjoy homecooked meals no matter where you are.

As everyone gets older and moves apart to build families of their own, carving out a shared time to enjoy a meal with our older parents or elderly family members can appear daunting. While it may be easier for us to simply give them a call, it’s hard to replace the feeling of familial warmth from enjoying a meal together at home. Instead, try gathering at least once a week to see your elderly family members in person. With the convenience of Tingkat delivery services, you can treat your elderly family members to healthy homecooked meals within the comfort of their own homes.