You live far enough away that you only see your parents once a month. You’ve just found out that your dad can no longer drive. You mom stopped driving years ago. You need ways to make their groceries last the entire month between your visits. These tips might help. 

Look for Foods With a Long Shelf Life

Look for foods that have a long shelf life. This is especially true of items that must be kept refrigerated. If it will spoil fast, make sure your parents know to use those items first and move to the others. Some items that will keep for weeks are:

• Beets
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Rutabaga
• Parsnips
• Summer squash
• Turnips
• Winter squash

Instead of traditional milk, see if your mom and dad are okay with nut or oat milk. Those keep longer than cow or goat milk. If your parents like cheese, buy cheese that’s encased in wax.

Meats won’t last long in the refrigerator. However, buy them in bulk and break them into single portions using foil or freezer bags and note the item and date. They will last in the freezer.

Have Groceries Delivered

In some urban and suburban neighborhoods, grocery delivery is possible now. Order what your parents need and someone will deliver them. There may be a small delivery fee, but it’s worth it when you know your parents will always have fresh produce.

The other options for grocery delivery is a meal service like Blue Apron or HelloFresh. This won’t cover all of the groceries they need, but it gives them some fresh foods each week. Your parents pick the meals they want to make the week before. The ingredients are packaged with dry ice and shipped to their home.

When the box arrives, your parents put the items in the fridge or cupboard. When they need to cook the meal, there’s a recipe card with step-by-step instructions. The only things they may need to have on hand are salt, pepper, and oil.

Hire Home Care Aides to Help Out

Hire home care services. A caregiver will come to your parents’ home, help them create a shopping list, and take them shopping. The aide can also take them to appointments, help with housework, and cook meals for them.

In addition to having help with the shopping and household chores, your parents benefit from safety checks and companionship. Call a home care agency to arrange this and other helpful services.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Pleasant Hill, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855

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andy@hcprosonline.com

CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howardis a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry.His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005.He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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