Eating well can become difficult for people living alone because of age or disability. For the elderly, reduced meal intake can be due to a problem with chewing, swallowing or a gradual loss of taste and desire to eat. It may also be a sign of distress, depression and sadness which can lead to give-up-itis.
It is sometimes difficult for caregivers to know whether their seniors living alone are eating well and enough. Noticing weight loss is usually too late because when you see it, loss of appetite has already set in. This subject is often challenging to bring up in a conversation. So, what can we do to improve this situation and protect our loved ones from dependency?
One method is to monitor the fridge.
The installation of a sensor that would detect how often the refrigerator is opened can indicate whether the senior has a tendency to eat less if the frequency decreases over time. In that situation, the sensor would alert the caregivers about the beginning of a malnutrition problem, thus facilitating the dialogue between the caregivers and the person in a situation of dependency and allowing the caregivers to take preventive action. Likewise, a sensor could also be placed in the refrigerator door and measure the strength at which the door was open to monitor grip strength.
With such a simple system, caregivers (families, nurses, caregivers) can better organize themselves to respond quickly and objectively to prevent the development malnutrition and frailty in their loved ones.
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