When seniors are in the hospital because of a fall, injury, or surgery it can have a big impact on their digestive health. Not exercising, not eating a healthy diet, and not drinking enough water can cause a lot of digestive problems. And medical research shows that gut health impacts overall health. So when your senior parent comes home from the hospital and is starting their recovery at home part of that recovery needs to include resetting their gut health. Seniors should have post-hospital care services after they are released to help them with things like meals, getting around the house, and cleaning. Post-hospital care for seniors can help seniors get their gut health back on track.
To fix digestive problems after a hospital stay seniors should:
Eat More Dairy
A great way for seniors to correct their digestive health is to eat dairy foods like yogurt and cottage cheese. Yogurt and cottage cheese can help promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria. And they contain a lot of protein, which seniors typically don’t get enough of when they’re in the hospital. A cup of cottage cheese has more protein than some hamburgers. And yogurt has a lot of protein also. When seniors come home from the hospital and don’t have a great appetite yogurt is a food that’s easy to eat and will help fix their digestive problems.
Drink Water
Most seniors are dehydrated when they come home from the hospital. So seniors need to be drinking water regularly throughout the day after they come home. A post-hospital care provider can remind seniors to drink and encourage them to drink more by adding things like cucumber slices or fruit to the water so it tastes better. Improving hydration will help gut health by flushing out bad bacteria and helping the good bacteria grow.
Take Fiber Supplements
Seniors should always check with their doctors before taking any supplements. But taking fiber supplements can help seniors fix their gut health. It’s always best for seniors to get as much fiber as possible naturally from the food they’re eating, but that’s not always something seniors can do. Seniors should be getting at least 20 grams of fiber per day and getting that amount from food alone can mean eating a lot of food. So a supplement makes sense for seniors whose appetites haven’t quite recovered.
Add Fermented Foods To The Menu
Fermented foods are an acquired taste for seniors, but they can be extremely beneficial to the digestive system. If your senior parent can eat foods like kimchi or sauerkraut, they should be eating them to help correct their digestive health. A post-hospital care provider can help seniors by preparing fermented foods, shopping for specialty foods like kimchi, and making sure that the fermented foods that are in the house are still ok to eat. If there are no bubbles in the liquid in a fermented food then seniors shouldn’t eat it.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Post-Hospital Care Services in Annapolis MD please get in touch with the caring staff at Vital Sign Home Care today. (410) 814-0258
A Trusted Skilled Medical and Non-Medical senior home care provider in Annapolis, Arnold, Severn, Guilford, Towson, Brooklandville, Catonsville, Cockeysville, Bel Air, Ellicott City, Columbia MD, and surrounding areas.
Venus had a stroke in 2018, she had no movement on the right side of her body and was unable to speak. Venus has made great progress since then and shows up everyday doing her best. She takes pride in overcoming obstacles and never giving up, which has allowed her to obtain a level of success in healthcare.
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