How To Help Your Loved One Eat Healthy After A Stroke

A stroke is a traumatic experience for the person who suffered the stroke and their family members and trying to assist a loved one after they’ve suffered a stroke may be difficult at times. While caring for the recovering loved one, family members should know that individuals who’ve recently had a stroke are often disinterested in food because of both loss of appetite and difficulty swallowing. Nerve damage that’s common after a stroke often causes choking during eating, coughing out food after eating, or feelings of intense discomfort in the chest area after swallowing. Individuals who’ve had a stroke also tend to lose weight and feel weak as a result of not eating, and this slows the recovery process. While a speech therapist can assist with swallowing food after a stroke, an experienced nursing assistant can create a diet that your loved one will enjoy.

With the help of an in-home nursing assistant, you can provide your loved one with a diet that ensures they recover quickly. The following tips will help as well:

List palatable items

After a physician specifies which foods can be given to your loved one, look for ways to make those foods edible. Individuals recovering from a stroke must be encouraged to eat nutritious foods, and these foods should be chewable and swallowable.

Set up a schedule for meals

Following routine meal times till the recovery process is complete is advised. Make your loved one’s meals enjoyable by engaging in small talk, and gently encourage them to eat small portions that are easy to chew and enjoy.

Use a high-calorie diet full of nutritious foods

To ensure a speedy recovery, create a nutritious diet that’s rich in calories and proteins, as these provide strength and energy.

Diet Items for Stroke Patients

Fruits and vegetables

As swallowing is difficult after a stroke, pureed fruits and vegetables with milk are both palatable and nutritious. Use this recovery time to experiment with healthy smoothies; use different combinations of fruits and vegetables, but remember to get everything approved by your loved one’s physician first!

Yogurt

Fresh yogurt is the best food for stroke patients as it’s easy to eat and contains proteins. If the patient recovering from the stroke has digestion issues, encourage them to consume yogurt that has probiotics.

Semisolid meal supplements

Though whole foods have more nutritional value than protein shakes and pureed fruits, sometimes these semisolid meal supplements are the only edible things people recovering from a stroke can eat; they’re easy to chew and digest.

If you want to give excellent care for your loved one as they recover from a stroke, hire an in-home nursing care professional, one experienced in both managing diet and nursing a sick person back to health.