Sunday family dinners used to be a staple in the majority of households. But, what was once a weekly staple is now on the decline.
For seniors, this decline can be extremely harmful. Research shows that 50 per cent of surveyed families living near senior relatives feel they do not share enough meals with older loved ones, losing an important family connection.
Mealtime is a critical component of not only healthy nutrition, but of medication management (as many medicines must be taken with food) and avoiding the feelings of social isolation that many seniors face.
“For seniors, it’s not what’s on their plate that matters most at mealtime – it’s who is a the table with them,” says Glen McHugh, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Oshawa, Ontario.
“When seniors share meals with a companion, they have a better mealtime experience – both nutritionally and emotionally.”
Almost 75 per cent of the people surveyed say they only sit down for a family meal with older loved ones for special occasions, events or holidays. They say a big part of the problem is time – both not having enough of it and conflicting schedules.
“We hope families will plan to either revive or begin new Sunday mealtime traditions with their senior loved ones,” says McHugh. “This small commitment can have a big impact on a senior’s well-being.”
Home Instead Senior Care is asking families to take the “Sunday Dinner Pledge” and sit down for dinner with their senior loved ones more often.
To help families with this commitment, the Sunday Dinner Pledge website (sundaydinnerpledge.ca) has recipes for easy, inexpensive meals that bridge all generations, along with tips for how to involve seniors in pre- and post-dinner activities.
