Almost all daughters and sons who care for their elderly parent, or elderly parents, do not usually imagine themselves as caregivers. They simply consider themselves as attending to their parents. A caregiver is defined as someone who provides support to another person who is unable to live on their own due to physical, psychological, financial, or mental limitations.

Caregivers are likely to be thought of as specialists or volunteers who stop by the home of the person they may be caring for as needed. In situations where an expert will not be necessary, the duty will most likely fall on siblings in the family. This could consist of errands, chores, yard maintenance, managing finances, grocery shopping, and preparing meals in advance.

Surveys differ, but up to 80% of all caregiver services in the US are provided by family members. This adds up to nearly 50 million men and women, and about a third of every American family has an unpaid caregiver who tends to the needs of an aging parent in some way. 86% of caregivers are family members and 66% are usually women. The average family caregiver can assume this obligation for up to nine years.

While there are various jobs and commitments a family caregiver will expect, 65% of all services consist of cooking food and 40% maintaining specific nutritional diets. 75% of family caregivers say that food shopping is often a regular part of their duty. Seniors make up the largest percentage of people in society who need heart-healthy, low-sodium, weight-loss, diabetic diet programs. Preparing meals ahead of time for parents is often a major task in itself. Meal preparation for special diets requires more experience in both food shopping and cooking.

Family caregivers who live nearby will have a much easier time cooking and caring for their elderly parents compared to those who live further away, or perhaps in another state. With the fast-paced routines of employment and raising their own families, it’s no surprise that 40% of family caregivers find caring for a mother or father or parents can be a burden. 32% say it’s too much responsibility and creates emotional stress, but when it comes to caring for an aging family member, it’s usually a labor of love.

Convenience Meal Delivery Solutions

Nurturing an aging parent or parents can be one of the most frequent and time-consuming responsibilities that a family caregiver can provide. The delivery of prepared meals, to some extent, is often a potential option that helps both the family caregiver and the parents. Menus can be as simple as one dinner a day, to a wide selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most companies that offer pre-made meals ship their meals frozen, allowing for easy reheating in a microwave oven.

• dinner wise is a nationwide meal delivery service that delivers frozen meals for seniors across the country. They have a wide variety of foods and offer nutritional options for people with diabetes, weight loss, and low sodium requirements. Repeat food deliveries can be booked for any time period, as well as any budget. DineWise food costs an average of $12 per meal.
• direct home style is a service that accepts Medicaid for residents who live in Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Utah, or Wyoming. Their menu offers a significantly smaller selection and does not cater to specific nutritional dietary programs, but does offer a less expensive cost option. Your average meals will cost around $6 each.
• meals at home is a local service that provides hot meals to homebound seniors, typically over the age of 60. Restrictions, qualification criteria, and rates, in the form of contributions, vary depending on the county in which you live. The service is not offered nationwide. These agencies are generally funded through charitable efforts and local government bodies.

National prepared meal delivery service corporations provide family caregivers with the ability to reduce stress and reduce the burden of caring for an aging parent or parents. They also offer a benefit to seniors in that they are easy to reheat and allow seniors to feel self-sufficient. They can be purchased in almost any volume and can optionally be scheduled for regular shipping and delivery dates. Having pre-cooked meals on hand also offers convenience for family caregivers in situations where they are leaving or unable to care for their parents.