Diet & Nutrition for Seniors

Specific vitamins can have a significant positive (or negative) impact on your health. Learn what each one does, how to spot a deficiency, and what foods you should add to your diet to make sure you're meeting your nutritional requirements.

For many caregivers, preventing dehydration in elderly loved ones is a daily struggle. Learn how to help seniors get the fluids they need, even if they won’t drink water.

Cooking well-balanced meals is probably the last thing on your mind when you’re juggling work, family and caregiving, but the truth is that good nutrition is closely tied to good health. Use these tips and shortcuts to improve your dietary habits.

Working around age-related changes in appetite and food preferences can be tricky for family caregivers. Try these tasty tips to help your loved one maintain a healthy weight and get the vital nutrients they need.

Eating a nutritious diet and taking medications as prescribed by a doctor may seem like a recipe for good health, but even wholesome ingredients like leafy greens and fruit can cause food-drug interactions. Keep an eye out for these unsafe combinations.

Eating is often difficult for a cancer-stricken senior. But the weakness and fatigue associated with not getting enough nutrients can give cancer the upper hand. Learn how to make sure your loved one is getting the food they need.

Caregivers are often stumped when elders lose their appetite or stop eating altogether. Weigh the pros and cons of incorporating a supplement shake into an elder’s diet.

As we age, eating often becomes more of a chore than a pleasure. Look for these signs that a senior is not eating well and use these tips to prevent malnutrition.

A registered dietitian explains what nutrients are most important for older adults and how you and your loved one can work on adopting healthier eating habits together.

When an elderly loved one stops eating or only picks at their food during meals, usually our first reaction is to urge them to eat. Instead, consider the underlying reasons for their loss of appetite and how they can be addressed.

Deciding whether to use a feeding tube is a complex matter, especially for older patients. Family caregivers should understand why and when tube feeding is appropriate in case they must make this choice for their loved one someday.

It can be difficult to distinguish scientifically proven options from hyped up “remedies” and expensive “cures.” Know what to look for in an alternative treatment and how to decide if it's worth trying.

Caregivers know that seniors need proper nutrition in order to maintain and improve their health, but how do we make this happen when they don’t want to eat?

When a senior is having trouble swallowing, known as dysphagia, doctors recommend thickening meals and drinks to avoid choking and aspiration. Use these tips to address dehydration and malnutrition issues in people who have a swallowing disorder.

For seniors with lung disease, difficulty breathing is a common symptom that can affect energy levels and limit activities. Explore tips on how to help someone with respiratory problems improve their sleep quality, nutrition and overall health.

With conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s disease and dementia, swallowing issues can develop that increase the risk of choking and aspiration pneumonia. Learn the signs of dysphagia and how to help a senior eat and drink safely.

Assessing basic ADLs and instrumental ADLs helps determine the level of care a senior needs and what programs and benefits they may be eligible for.

My blood pressure has been a challenge these past few years... sometimes too low, sometimes too high. I'm trying to take fewer meds and supplements, so here are a few "natural" things I'm doing to keep my blood pressure in check.

I hate being constipated, and I suspect you feel that way, too. Here's my secret recipe that spells R-E-L-I-E-F.

Vitamin D deficiency is common in seniors and has been linked to age-related health conditions like cognitive decline, bone loss and depression. Look for these symptoms of low vitamin D to ensure older adults get the nutrients they need.