"Did Mom eat?" sounds like a simple question.
Anyone who has worried about a parent living on their own knows it usually means something much bigger.
Did she eat enough? Was it something nourishing? Did she enjoy it? Is there food in the refrigerator she will actually want tomorrow? Is she eating the same thing every day because cooking has become too much trouble? Did she sit down for a real meal, or did crackers become dinner again?
Families often live with these questions from a distance.
A grocery delivery can confirm that food reached the house. A meal delivery can confirm that food was available. Neither necessarily tells you whether it appealed to the person who was supposed to eat it.
Appetite is personal. So are habits.
One person wants a proper hot lunch and very little in the evening. Another prefers small portions throughout the day. Someone may suddenly rediscover an appetite when the food is familiar. Someone else may become more interested when the menu changes.
That is why Savoyage pays attention to more than the menu.
During a visit, we can note whether the client ate while we were there, how their appetite appeared, what they particularly enjoyed and whether something seems worth following up on. With the client's authorization, appropriate observations can be shared with designated family contacts.
It is not medical monitoring, and we do not pretend it is. It is simply the value of a familiar person being present, noticing ordinary things and communicating what the client has agreed may be shared.
There is also another side to the question.
"Did Mom eat?" can quietly become one of dozens of things an adult child is trying to keep track of: groceries, appointments, the refrigerator, a repair, a prescription pickup, a strange noise from the washing machine.
Peace of mind rarely comes from one grand solution. Often it comes from knowing that somebody reliable was there, dinner was made, the refrigerator has food in it, and if something ordinary needed attention, it did not go unnoticed.
Sometimes that is the answer the question was really asking. You can learn more about how Savoyage works on our personal chef for independent living page.
Related Reading
Stay at the Table
Good food, useful ideas and a little inspiration from our kitchen to yours.
Receive occasional stories, seasonal recipes, Savoyage news and practical ideas for making life at home a little easier.