Sustaining health for elderly people in Care
How good nutrition, hydration and exercise cuts the cost of Care
The cornerstones of sustainable health include:
- powerful nutrients
- hydration/drinking water
- oxygen (exercise and fresh air)
- sunlight
However, doctors, nurses and carers receive little, if any, training in these vital areas of health.
At Care To Be Different we’re collecting articles to show how nutrition, drinking more water and doing gentle exercise ultimately lowers the cost of Care.
We’re also collecting case studies about forward-thinking Care Homes.
Increasing illness and disability in old age are NOT inevitable
The ‘drugs for symptoms’ approach in conventional medicine stops medics and patients alike from recognising that there are better and more cost-effective ways than drugs to improve – and sometimes reverse – chronic disease in elderly people.
Because conventional medicine tends to look predominantly at symptoms, it does not see that improving chronic disease is possible for the long term. It often overlooks the root causes of many typical ‘elderly’ diseases: malnutrition (not to be confused with low calorie intake) and dehydration. Nutrition in the elderly is critical.
Good nutrition costs less over time
Nutrition and hydration is often a low priority in Care Homes. Kitchen staff and Care Teams are not normally qualified in nutrition, and it’s not unusual for food budgets per person per day in Care Homes to be less than in prisons!
There are guidelines that Care Homes have to follow about food handling and food hygiene, but no effective guidelines about the nutritional content of food.
It is not only devastating to patients, but it actually costs Care Homes more.
Care Homes can enjoy cost savings and easier care
Many Care Home owners believe that good Elderly Nutrition and helping residents drink water is not affordable. And yet when Care Homes nourish elderly people in this way, and also provide opportunities for residents to exercise and stay mobile, the cost benefits are significant.
Read more about the benefits of good nutrition in Care Homes.
Opportunities for Care Homes
Care Homes have an exellent opportunity to take the lead in providing better Care in this way. The benefits to Care Homes include a wider and more positive reputation, good press coverage and long-term cost-savings. Read more.
Find out how this Care Home in Suffolk took the lead.
Nutritional therapists
Are you a nutritional therapist or other natural health practitioner with knowledge and experience of Elderly Health? Contact Us today to submit an article for our blog.
