Senior Living Alone

Beachgirl · Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Northern Virginia

My mother will be 82 next month and was diagnosed when she was 79. She lives alone in Florida and has adjusted well to giving up foods containing gluten. Better than most I believe because she was never one to eat a lot of processed food anyway. She has taken a lot of supplements for over 20 years. But she is concerned about nutrition. She doesn't know if she's taking something she doesn't need and if she should be taking something that she's not. She is also realizing that she has either a corn allergy or corn sensitivity. That makes life very difficult. Since she has lived alone for over 30 years, she had gotten out of the routine of actually cooking unless she was having company. But to remain gluten-free and now, corn-free, you almost have to cook -- meat, potatoes or rice, and a vegetable. As a senior on a fixed income, she doesn't feel that she can afford special pastas and bread. She doesn't bother with any of the mixes anymore from Gluten Free Pantry because so many of them contain corn. She has been cooking a large batch of rice and freezing small quantities in small sandwich bags but she doesn't really like to cook anymore. She has not found the local support group to be very helpful and has not found a local doctor who knows much about CD. She did pay for the services of a nutritionist but all she did was look at the food diary my Mom kept for a few days and tell her what kinds of food she should eat more. What Mom was looking for was for someone to actually come up with a 30-day menu that would ensure that she was taking in the proper nutrients. She didn't get that and the nutritionist told her to keep taking all the supplements she's taking because they wouldn't hurt her.

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8602 Location: WI, USA

Hi Beachgirl,

Welcome to the board!

I can fully understand your Mom's situation. My mom is very similar - fixed income, lives alone, doesn't like to cook much. However, her diet is poor, IMHO.

It sounds like she didn't get a very good nutritionist. Have your or her looked for a Registered Dietician in her area...one that is familiar with CD? Some RD's don't have a clue about a GF diet or the special needs we require.

Can you tell us what city she lives in? Maybe we could try to find some resources for her.

There are a couple of people here that have issues with corn, so I suspect they'll be stopping by with some suggestions. I'm not...I'll direct them here Smile

Take care!!
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

cultureslayer · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 763 Location: NC

Get her a rice cooker with a steamer basket. You can get a Tayama on Amazon shipped to her door for about $20. (it says buy used, but the seller is the factory). Then she can make rice and some meat or a veggie without much work at all.

There's a topic here about eating cheaply with celiac. Might want to find and send it to her. Thankfully there's an asian food store near me so that makes it super easy. I just discovered these vietnamese spice cubes that look like boullion and make the rice taste a lot like rice a roni when you put them in the rice cooker. I have no idea what they are called, but the ingredients and instructions are in English (the ones I bought were originally made for flavoring chicken, but I had other plans).
_________________
Lauren
Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8602 Location: WI, USA

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8602 Location: WI, USA

Hi BG,

You also might check this out: Going GF - A Primer for Clinicians - This is put together by Shelly Case - a Canadian RD.
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

cultureslayer · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 763 Location: NC

Beachgirl · Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Northern Virginia

Thank you all for your helpful advice. I opened up the links you sent and will work on digesting all the information and picking out what I think is especially relevant to my Mom's situation.

She lives near Lakeland, FL and I live in Northern Virginia so we don't see each other but about 2-3 times a year. I fly down to see her because it's very difficult for her to travel. We talk on the phone every day and last night I read my original post and all of your replies. She doesn't have a computer and doesn't have any desire to have one and the idea of communicating with others in this way is foreign to her but she seemed to feel not so alone after I read your comments.

She lives on the same street as three of her sisters and yesterday she attended my aunt's 92nd birthday party where they served Coconut Cake and my Mom ate a gluten-free cookie she had taken with her. She said that though they were all raving about the cake, she didn't feel like she was missing anything because she nevers wants to go back to feeling the way she did before. Nothing is worth that sick feeling.

Fidissimus · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 1560 Location: Portland, OR.

cultureslayer · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 763 Location: NC

I forgot to post this earlier, but there are 3 asian markets in Tallahassee. Don't know if your mom is interested, but there's usually some good stuff to be found if you have a while to look at the ingredient lists.

http://www.melroseflowers.com/mkic/asian_markets/asian_markets_3.html#Florida%20Area

The page also has lists for the rest of the US as well.
_________________
Lauren
Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.