The elderly may find it tough to stock up on groceries, be it due to physical limitations or mental health issues. Or they might be mostly independent but need some assistance with errands.
Here are some tips on how to help your loved ones when it comes to grocery shopping.
Meal Planning
Planning out meals and recipes ahead of time helps to ensure that there isn’t too much produce and ingredients stockpiled at home. It’s also easier to create a grocery list around healthy items if there’s a pre-planned menu of nutritious meals. This also helps to reduce the mental workload for the caregiver, who doesn’t have to scramble for meal ideas.
Budget Planning
The elderly may have concerns about finances and paying for groceries. Find out if the grocery stores are running promotions or discounts, which will help your older loved ones save money while shopping. It can be physical coupons, digital ones, or even savings through memberships and clubs.
Check Transport Needs
Check with your loved ones if they need help getting to and from the grocery store. The elderly can find it quite stressful to take public transport, especially if they have difficulty moving around.
In-Store Transport
Especially for the elders with physical disabilities and limited mobility, stores with motorized carts or grocery store scooters can help them get around. Check if these are available before making the grocery shopping trip with your loved ones.
Split Grocery Bags Up
While you’ll be there to help with the heavy lifting, it’s a good idea to get the cashier or grocery bagger to split up the bags into lighter loads. Aged adults may hurt themselves if each bag is too heavy – carrying them from the store to the car, and from the car to the house may strain their backs.
Shop During Off-peak Hours
To avoid crowds, especially if your loved ones find crowds stressful, try shopping during off-peak hours instead. It’ll be easier to walk around the aisles for them, and they won’t have to wait for as long when they’re queuing up to pay for the groceries too.
Check Grocery Store Ads
You can reduce the amount of time spent dithering in-store by taking a look at grocery store ads prior to the trip. This is especially useful if you’re also planning meals ahead of time.
Manage Quantities
It can be tempting to buy everything in bulk but take note of what your loved one can finish, especially if they’re living on their own.
For dry and canned goods like rice, canned vegetables, and so on, it’s fine to buy in bulk as you can keep these for a long time. For perishables like meat, vegetables, and dairy products, it’s safer to buy in smaller quantities as they expire more quickly.
Try Online Grocery Shopping
To minimize the hassle, you can even encourage your loved ones to use online grocery shopping sites or apps instead. Most stores even offer delivery right to your doorstep.
