Everyone knows that tracking calories is one way to maintain a healthy weight and ensure that you are eating healthier. If you are caring for your elderly loved one, you may be wondering how many calories they need daily. Hopefully, this information from the Dietary Guidelines will inform you and your senior home care provider about the calories that your elderly loved one needs if they are 60 or older.
For Women 60 and Older
Is your elderly loved one 60 years or older and a woman? If so, there are different calorie intakes they should be getting based on their physical activity level.
If your elderly loved one is a woman 60 and older, but not physically active, they should get a maximum of 1,600 calories a day. If your elderly loved one is in this age range and they are moderately active, they will need to get a maximum of 1,800 calories daily. Lastly, if your elderly loved one is a woman 60 and older with an active lifestyle, they should be getting a maximum of between 2,000 to 2,200 calories daily.
If you are caring for your elderly loved one who is a woman age 60 or older, it is important to talk with her regularly about the foods she is eating and what she is drinking, too. You and senior home care providers can work with her to help ensure she is getting the proper amount of calories daily. This is not to say it is going to be perfect every day, but getting close to or under the numbers above most days would be good for her health.
For Men 60 and Older
Is the senior citizen you are taking care of a man who is 60 years old or even older? If so, the calorie intake they have daily does matter. Some men think this is only something that women need to be paying attention to, but that isn’t true. Even men can become unhealthy when eating too many calories.
Is the senior citizen who you are taking care of a man that is not physically active, but they are 60 or older? If so, the maximum calories they should be getting each day is between 2,000 to 2,200.
If the senior citizen man who is 60 or older that you are caring for is moderately active, they can get a bit more calories daily. The recommended amount of daily calories for this level of activity in older men is between 2,200 and 2,400.
Last, but not least, if the man you are taking care of is very active and they are 60 or older, the maximum calorie count they get each day should be between 2,400 and 2,600.
As you can see, men can take in a bit more calories. This is due to their body structure, weight, and height. If needed, you or senior home care providers can even help your elderly loved one who is a man create a meal plan that fits within these calorie ranges.
Conclusion
Not sure what activity level your elderly loved one is in? There are different online dietary guidelines that explain the levels of activity. By looking at these and talking to your elderly loved one, you can figure out how much physical activity they get. Then, you can compare it to the numbers noted above.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Senior Home Care in Leesburg, GA, please contact the caring staff at South GA Family Care today. 229-299-8766
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/how-much-should-i-eat-quantity-and-quality