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Home Social care and health Health and wellbeing Your health Weight management Eating well Carers, friends, neighbours or relatives

Eating well for carers, friends, neighbours or relatives

Carers can include husbands, wives, partners, children or any relative looking after or visiting an older person – not just a professional carer who helps with day-to-day living.

Bowl of porridge and spoon on a table

You can help by:

  • visiting at meal times so you can eat together and see if they're eating well
  • encouraging them to eat socially with friends and family
  • remind them that Gold Card holders can get discounts at lots of cafés, pubs or restaurants, so eating out doesn't have to be expensive
  • offer to help with shopping and writing a shopping list so you can both make sure there's nourishing food within date to choose from
  • encourage extra high-calorie drinks and snacks
  • look into lunch clubs, meal delivery services or supermarket delivery
  • contact social and health services for further advice, but ask the older person first
  • ask the person to weigh themselves, so you can both keep track of weight lost and gained
  • reassure them that 3 square meals a day doesn't have to be the rule - it's fine to eat little and often to snack between meals

How can I tell if someone I know is losing weight?

When it's someone you see every day, you may not always notice change over time. But keep these signs in mind:

  • Are rings looser on fingers?
  • Are shirt collars looser?
  • Do slippers that once fit seem to be too big now?
  • Are skirts and trousers loose around the waist?
  • Do dentures fit less well? (gums receding)
  • Are limbs thinner than before?
  • Do belts need to go on a tighter notch?

Other signs to look out for:

  • finding it hard to keep warm
  • suffering from diarrhoea or constipation
  • having dizzy spells
  • suffering from dry skin or pressure sores
  • eating and drinking less than usual
  • having mouth problems - swallowing and chewing, sore mouth or tongue, bleeding or swollen gums, teeth problems or choking problems
  • getting frequent infections
  • finding it hard to shake off colds and infections

If you're a carer, you can contact someone's GP if you think it's necessary. They won't breach confidentiality but they can take note of your concerns.