IN 1946, Dr. Benjamin Spock wrote The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care.
Children may not come with an instruction manual but Spock's book was the next best thing. Translated into 39 languages, it sold more than 50 million copies, making it second in sales only to the Bible.
My parents had a copy of Spock's book; it sold for $.25, and if you're a baby boomer I'll bet your parents had one too.
Spock's philosophy was liberal - he believed that children reared as idealistic individuals would achieve happy and productive lives. Thanks to Spock, corporal punishment was out, coddling was in and households became "childcentered."
Now there weren't a lot of rules at my house, thanks to Spock, except when we, or rather I, sat down at the kitchen table. My younger sister, it seems, was born with good table manners and I was not. My parents' suggestions like, "Eat your greens, don't play with your food, elbows off the table, and don't talk with your mouth full," may not always have been well-received, but undoubtedly they helped make me the man I am today.
Some of the rules made no sense to me. Why did I have to wash my hands before I came to the table when I had already washed them the day before?
Why could I keep my pet frog under the picnic table outside but not on the dinner table inside? My parents always sided with my younger sister on that one. Why was it good to have a second helping of beets or brussels sprouts but bad to double up on dessert?
The No. 1 rule in our house was that we had to be home for dinner. My parents thought it was important to share mealtimes and we did.
Now, you're probably wondering what all this has to do with seniors? Well, there's a new study out, suggesting that eating alone and poor nutrition goes hand in hand for seniors.
The research confirms the value of mealtime for everyone. It seems my parents were on to something here. It turns out that meals help maintain social networks for seniors and that is crucial to their overall state of health and well-being.
Almost 90 per cent of the seniors surveyed said that having someone to share their meals with makes those times more satisfying. We know that many seniors face challenges when it comes to mealtime companionship. And we know that seniors who lack social engagement often have a lower quality of life and a more rapid decline as they age. There are programs in the community like the Diners Club that are designed to help seniors stay connected socially and eat more nutritiously. Several North Shore agencies offer a meal sharing program for seniors as a regular part of their programming. And there are new initiatives like the Craving Companionship program, developed by a local home care agency here on the North Shore, that offers family caregiver tips and practical advice to encourage companionship and easy, healthy meals.
Now when it comes to seniors and nutrition we have tended to focus on the importance of developing healthy eating habits or maintaining good dental health - and that is critically important. But the latest research suggests that it's not what's on the table but who else is around the table at mealtime that's most important. And if that's true, it means we are going to have to change our thinking and our practice about nutritional health for seniors.
Tom Carney is the co-ordinator of the Lionsview Seniors' Planning Society. Ideas for future columns are welcome. Contact him at 604-985-3852 or send an email to [email protected].
