Let’s face it, we all hate it when a client has the appetite of a little bird, and every mouthful must be coaxed and persuaded. On the converse, we do wonder sometimes what goes on when we have a client who is ravenously hungry.

While if this is the norm, then we can accept that we will need to cook extra for meals, but if suddenly out of the blue a client has the appetite of a hungry horse, what on earth is going on?

 

It is certainly great to have a client who eats a good meal three times a day but eating too much can have detrimental effects particularly if your client does not get much exercise – as most of our client are.

Overeating constantly will mean weight gain, less balance and more chances of overbalancing and falling.

 

Medication

There are some medications which can cause hunger in people because they affect the body’s metabolism and influence the hunger signals. Some medication like corticosteroids, antipsychotics and antidepressants are known to make a person feel hungry.

 

Some medications may even stimulate the appetite and cause your client to eat more, thus gaining extra weight. There are medications which affect the body’s metabolism and calories are burned at a slower rate.

If you feel that medication is causing your client to feel starving hungry more than they should then you should speak to the doctor to see if the medication can be adjusted or even changed.

 

If medication is not the cause:

Sometimes you may feel that your client has simply gotten into a bad habit of eating more at mealtimes. There are some things that you can do to curb that appetite.

 

• Offer water before a meal
• Cook more high fiber foods
• Eat bulky low-calorie foods

 

Examples of bulky, low-calorie foods:

• Oats porridge
• Greek yogurt
• Eggs
• Berries
• Soups – both vegetable and pulses
• Fish

 

Final thoughts

Sometimes another way of preventing your client from pigging out between meals or even at meal- times is to try distraction after the meal is finished. Suggest a walk, a phone call to family or friends, a drive in the car – anything to take their mind off eating more food.

 

Sometimes eating for an older person may be due to bad habit and distraction can help in bringing it under control.

Whatever plan you follow, make sure that you have spoken to the doctor first. He may also be able to offer you advice or refer you to a dietician.   

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