Lucy, depending on your Mom's age, if she is in her 80's or 90's let her have food that she enjoys, instead of just pin pointing healthy foods.
Whenever I got my very elderly parent's grocery list, Mom had Little Debbies snacks, Hostess cupcakes, raisin bread, Pringles, just to name simple items that are easy to open. I use to cringe at the list, but then I thought both of them were in their 90's, so they should eat what they like :)
Be careful of Cheetos, those can be quite messy ;p
Thank you all so much for a wealth of information! She often will not eat an entire portion of anything no matter how small I make it so refrigerated items get left out for her to eat later.........sometimes I fear much later. Probably an in grained habit from her childhood... I hear you on the "let her eat what she wants" concept. She is allowed treats weekly but in moderation. She's not a fussy eater & will eat healthy foods almost as readily as the junk. She feels much better mentally & physically without the junk food & preservatives as her ankles will swell with all the salt they contain. Loose stools/diarrhea is another problem that is diet related for her...no grapes or coffee or beans or (the worst!) hummus! When I brought the almost daily loose stool issue up to her PCP he just said be happy she's regular. Yeah, OK...... Yes I do work a 32 hr week & have lived with her for over a year now... when she's alone I'm thankful she doesn't use any appliances including the toaster. She has a hardy breakfast & hot lunch before I leave to work 2nd shift. Mom decided a long time ago to remain in her home as long as possible. We both know the "risks " involved. As I educate myself on this process I have come to understand what this really means. What it means to her right now is that she doesn't want to go to a NH where they will most certainly not let her toilet herself as she does @ home. They will take her underwear off, put a chucks under her & tell her to wet the bed especially @ nite. I know this to be true because of a recent hospital stay. If i had it to do over again she would not have gone to the hospital. Under those circumstances she will loose her mobility in no time..........we all know the rest of the story. She does not want 24/7 aides as she values her privacy....she won't be happy with that situation either financially or emotionally. We had to go that route post stroke.....it was difficult & confusing for Mom as they all had differing opinions and techniques ;leaving her with anxiety issues daily. For now she is content to do as she pleases.....watching the birds @ the feeder hoping to see the almost daily appearance of the Cardinal....interacting with our 2 cats....walking from window to window to see the goings on .....letting me know the temps...inside & out from her thermometer. This morning we had Turkeys in the back yard feasting on her Crab Apple Tree. She was so excited she "jumped" out of bed to see them.......... Thanks again for your continued support......
If she's not using those appliances, I'd take note of why. I found that my LO forgot how and it was too confusing her her. At that point, leaving alone can be risky. But, if that's not the reason, I like the list above. I'd also include: veggie tots, cooked bacon, cereal, protein bars, raisins, grapes, nuts, and energy drinks.
I'd make sure that she is able to retrieve them from the cabinet. My LO lost the ability to know that they were in the fridge or cupboard, so that, if the food was not right in front of her, she didn't know it was there, no matter how often I told her about it. She wouldn't even think to lift the foil from the plate to see the food. Only see through plastic worked.
Even the same old sandwiches can get new life if you change up the bread; try flat breads like pitas, naan, tortillas, or include rye, cheese bread, multigrain, raisin bread. Can she use a toaster? A mixed salad cold plate has infinite possibilities - bean salad, potato salad, pasta salads with cold meats and fruit or leafy greens., taco salads, chicken caesar... "Trail mixes" can be made up of almost anything and be sweet or savoury - little crackers, breakfast cereals, nuts, dries fruits, bite sized chocolates. Drinks are good calories too; hot chocolate, lattes, even regular coffee and tea can be left in a thermos or prepared using an electric kettle or single serve coffee machine. Don't forget dessert, you can sneak some good nutrition in with fruit pies and crumbles, custards, healthy muffins, pudding cups.
A couple of ideas - mthr went to a memory care AL and she was certainly encouraged to toilet herself! Hospitals are a special circumstance so don't think that is how all healthcare is going to be. It is more expensive care to have to change diapers than to have someone wear depends or panties. That should not be your deciding issue! Mthr became social for the first time in her life when we moved her into a place with activities and people her age, It was a true blessing to her, a new life, and she was so happy to have friends to tell her stories (over and over) and watch birds with and play bingo with. Don't be afraid of placement.
Since you have mom at home for now, you need to make her as safe as possible. I saw an idea of turning of the electrical panel power to the stove the other day to keep it from being used. I understand elders loving the look of their kitchen with the various appliances, so how about taking bolt cutters and cutting off the plugs to the small appliances - crockpot, toaster, mixer - to prevent fires from misuse as well. These are cheap appliances so there is not any residual yard sale value!
Also try googling "bento box lunches". There are lots of attractive and fun ideas there, if you have the time to put in. Some are for reheating, but many are cold.
And think of salads. There are the classic potato and tuna pasta salad. But you can also make some great grain (quinoa for instance) based ones. My mom likes california rolls (sushi rolls) which I can buy at Trader Joes.
I'm not sure why you need things that don't need to be refrigerated, is it that she won't look for them? You can get her a nice little lunch cooler to pack her goodies in, that way everything is easy to find in one place and chilled items should be fine until you get home.
We did the lunch kit with an ice pack in it this summer. Aunt wouid turn off the AC and I worried about food sitting out too long. It worked pretty good. Sometimes she didn’t realize there was food in it. Other days she remembered and did pretty good. She likes sandwiches. Peanut butter and banana, pimento cheese, scrambled egg. We cut them in squares and combine in a plastic partitioned container with peaches and cottage cheese. A square of each type sandwich so a mixture each day. Finger foods like cheese cubes sliced fruit on the side. She loves old fashion fruit salad. Coconut, mandarin oranges, pecans, fruit cocktail, pineapple tidbits, baby marshmallows mixed with sour cream. Sometimes some of the fruit changes. She likes pasta or chili or soup in her thermos. Baked sweet potatoes or baked russets. Corn bread casserole can be eaten cold or warm.
Whenever I got my very elderly parent's grocery list, Mom had Little Debbies snacks, Hostess cupcakes, raisin bread, Pringles, just to name simple items that are easy to open. I use to cringe at the list, but then I thought both of them were in their 90's, so they should eat what they like :)
Be careful of Cheetos, those can be quite messy ;p
I hear you on the "let her eat what she wants" concept. She is allowed treats weekly but in moderation. She's not a fussy eater & will eat healthy foods almost as readily as the junk. She feels much better mentally & physically without the junk food & preservatives as her ankles will swell with all the salt they contain. Loose stools/diarrhea is another problem that is diet related for her...no grapes or coffee or beans or (the worst!) hummus!
When I brought the almost daily loose stool issue up to her PCP he just said be happy she's regular. Yeah, OK......
Yes I do work a 32 hr week & have lived with her for over a year now... when she's alone I'm thankful she doesn't use any appliances including the toaster. She has a hardy breakfast & hot lunch before I leave to work 2nd shift.
Mom decided a long time ago to remain in her home as long as possible. We both know the "risks " involved. As I educate myself on this process I have come to understand what this really means.
What it means to her right now is that she doesn't want to go to a NH where they will most certainly not let her toilet herself as she does @ home. They will take her underwear off, put a chucks under her & tell her to wet the bed especially @ nite. I know this to be true because of a recent hospital stay. If i had it to do over again she would not have gone to the hospital. Under those circumstances she will loose her mobility in no time..........we all know the rest of the story.
She does not want 24/7 aides as she values her privacy....she won't be happy with that situation either financially or emotionally. We had to go that route post stroke.....it was difficult & confusing for Mom as they all had differing opinions and techniques ;leaving her with anxiety issues daily.
For now she is content to do as she pleases.....watching the birds @ the feeder hoping to see the almost daily appearance of the Cardinal....interacting with our 2 cats....walking from window to window to see the goings on .....letting me know the temps...inside & out from her thermometer. This morning we had Turkeys in the back yard feasting on her Crab Apple Tree. She was so excited she "jumped" out of bed to see them..........
Thanks again for your continued support......
I'd make sure that she is able to retrieve them from the cabinet. My LO lost the ability to know that they were in the fridge or cupboard, so that, if the food was not right in front of her, she didn't know it was there, no matter how often I told her about it. She wouldn't even think to lift the foil from the plate to see the food. Only see through plastic worked.
A mixed salad cold plate has infinite possibilities - bean salad, potato salad, pasta salads with cold meats and fruit or leafy greens., taco salads, chicken caesar...
"Trail mixes" can be made up of almost anything and be sweet or savoury - little crackers, breakfast cereals, nuts, dries fruits, bite sized chocolates.
Drinks are good calories too; hot chocolate, lattes, even regular coffee and tea can be left in a thermos or prepared using an electric kettle or single serve coffee machine.
Don't forget dessert, you can sneak some good nutrition in with fruit pies and crumbles, custards, healthy muffins, pudding cups.
Deviled Eggs
Cheese cubes (and crackers)
Cheese spread (and crackers)
Yogurt
Since you have mom at home for now, you need to make her as safe as possible. I saw an idea of turning of the electrical panel power to the stove the other day to keep it from being used. I understand elders loving the look of their kitchen with the various appliances, so how about taking bolt cutters and cutting off the plugs to the small appliances - crockpot, toaster, mixer - to prevent fires from misuse as well. These are cheap appliances so there is not any residual yard sale value!
And think of salads. There are the classic potato and tuna pasta salad. But you can also make some great grain (quinoa for instance) based ones. My mom likes california rolls (sushi rolls) which I can buy at Trader Joes.
She likes sandwiches. Peanut butter and banana, pimento cheese, scrambled egg. We cut them in squares and combine in a plastic partitioned container with peaches and cottage cheese. A square of each type sandwich so a mixture each day. Finger foods like cheese cubes sliced fruit on the side.
She loves old fashion fruit salad. Coconut, mandarin oranges, pecans, fruit cocktail, pineapple tidbits, baby marshmallows mixed with sour cream. Sometimes some of the fruit changes. She likes pasta or chili or soup in her thermos. Baked sweet potatoes or baked russets. Corn bread casserole can be eaten cold or warm.
My mom was leaving the stove eye on high and wandering off, she has busy hands! She loves her new home in AL! 😊
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