Elderly Care Tips: Enjoying a Trip to a Restaurant with Your Seniors

Elderly Care in Brooklyn, NY

Heading out to eat with your aging loved ones is a fun treat that makes any day in your elderly care routine more special and lets you create lasting memories with your seniors. Like anything in your care plan, however, it is important to plan carefully and have strategies in place to ensure that while you are at the restaurant your aging parents still get the care and assistance they need to enjoy the experience safely, comfortably, and with their health in mind.

Try some of these strategies to enjoy a trip to a restaurant with your senior parents:

• Choose carefully. You might love being adventurous and trying all types of new cuisines, but your parents may not be the people to surprise with a new exotic menu. If your aging loved ones are accustomed to a certain diet and have specific likes and dislikes, choose a restaurant that is in accordance with these rather than trying to make eating out into something more extravagant. Of course, if one of your parents is adventurous and would like to try new things with you, make it a point to plan special dinners just with that parent so you can experiment together.
• Go early. It may be a cliché, but bringing seniors to dinner earlier in the day is a better idea, particularly if your aging parents have physical or cognitive needs that may make it more challenging to navigate the restaurant, or more difficult to enjoy the experience with a larger crowd. Going earlier in the day allows you to miss the huge rush at the more popular times, limiting your wait for a table, giving you faster service, and letting you relax and enjoy the meal at a more leisurely pace without feeling like the waiters or other patrons are rushing you.
• Read the menu together. Help your parents pick out what to eat by reading through the menu together. Lights are often dimmer in restaurants and menu type can be extremely small, which can make it difficult for seniors with low vision to see properly. Make recommendations for dishes you think they would enjoy, or ask them if they have a particular taste for something that evening and help them find items that go along with that. Be sure to ask the waiter about specials that may not be listed.
• Customize dishes. If your parents have special dietary guidelines, do not hesitate to customize dishes for them. Ask the waiter about what goes into specific dishes, and if you have concerns about the items offered, ask to speak to the chef or to the manager. Usually if you explain medically necessary dietary restrictions, the kitchen can create something special just for you.
• Bring help. You should not have to spend your entire dinner worrying about your parents. If they have problems chewing or swallowing, or you are concerned about them acting out due to cognitive challenges, bring along their referred caregiver so he or she can enjoy the meal with you and provide extra assistance for your parents.