A favorite setting for most families or friends to facilitate conversations and strengthen their bond is sitting around the dinner table sharing a meal. Why sit alone, dining in silence or in front of the television, when we could use mealtime as the perfect excuse to meet up with relatives or friends to catch up, reminisce, laugh, or work through our problems and concerns?
Beyond the fact that having dinner with company is more enjoyable, there are many reasons why we should make mealtime an event to value.
Socialization
Isolation is a leading cause of depression in older adults. It’s easy for many seniors to fall into a routine with little or no socialization, and allow their lives to become mundane and lonely. If your senior loved one lives alone or in a senior living facility where they’ll sit in their room with the door closed unless directly encouraged to get out and enjoy the day, it’s important to ensure they have things to look forward to – like a visit from you! They’ll often say they don’t want to inconvenience you by asking you to visit. But what’s easier than having a standing date to break bread? If Mom or Dad doesn’t cook or they’re worried about creating a mess, order take out and pick it up on the way. It’s worth it to spend an hour of quality time together and part with smiles on your faces.
Nutrition
People who live alone, especially those who aren’t used to doing so after spending most of their lives living with others, are notorious for not wanting to cook just for themselves. Instead of making a delicious, home-made dinner like they did when their spouse or kids were still in the house, they do one of two things:
- make a frozen meal in the microwave, which has high levels of fat and salt
- skip meals altogether
Neither option is particularly good for their health and can cause a number of health issues, especially for those who struggle to control their blood sugar or blood pressure, or who take medication that is supposed to be consumed with food.
Healthy Habits
Skipping meals can cause people to graze on snacks all day, which is not particularly healthy and could cause the person to end up overeating. Dinner conversation naturally slows down our consumption, leading to healthier digestion and better portion control because our bodies have a chance to tell us they’re full before we’ve rushed into eating too much. Plus, eating when we’re supposed to makes us feel satisfied and causes us not to eat when we shouldn’t.
Bonding
Many families have favorite dishes that are passed on from generation to generation. Getting together to revisit their favorite recipes with their kids and grandchildren is great fun not only for our senior loved ones – but also for those of us who learn a valuable skill we too can pass on some day. Even if there isn’t a family recipe book to mine for ideas, you can still help the children bond with their elderly grandparents by combining a fun activity – like a game night, scrapbooking session or browsing through old photo albums – with takeout pizza.
Sharing a meal is just a good reason to get together!
As previously mentioned, it’s easy for a retired person who may not be driving anymore and who could be on a small, fixed income to fall into a rut of staying home and not exercising their mind or body. Since we all need to eat, scheduling a dinner date with Mom or Dad is an offer they can’t easily refuse. Offer to take them out to a restaurant, giving them a reason to get dressed and fix their hair or, if they aren’t mobile enough to get out, bring the meal to them. Either way, sharing a meal is always an appropriate excuse for a little social, mental and physical stimulation.
Hopefully, if you continue involving them and sharing a meal as often as possible, it will cause them to want to get together with other family members and friends, thereby filling their calendar with fulfilling activities and boosting their spirits.
