The Smaller Appetite

I remember back when I was younger, buffets were the rage in Rhode Island.

All you can eat was the challenge to see how many lobsters you could consume at Custy’s, how many bowls of chicken could fill our stomachs, along with those great French fries, salad and pasta at Wright’s Farm, and how many times you could go back for a clean plate at a Chinese buffet.

In later years it was the cruise buffet, where you had to try everything laid out before you three times a day, saving room for the midnight buffet.

And there were those restaurants, like Marchetti’s, where the goal was to eat a pound of spaghetti, and the Rocky Point Shore Dinner Hall, where the clam cakes kept coming a mile a minute,

“All you can eat” became “All you care to eat”, as I got older, and my appetite diminished.

I discovered that a small number of restau- rants, like Sam’s Inn and Governor Francis Inn in Warwick offered a smaller appetite section on their menu.

While the portions are smaller, you usually get the bread and soup or salad accompanying the meal, all for a reduced price.

Styrofoam boxes are the big item at restaurants, where seniors order a regular dinner and save half of it for the following day.

Often, when Joyce orders a meal with a pasta side, she will ask the waiter to box the pasta before bringing it to the table. (Take the extra bread; they only throw it away.)

As a kid, I hated leftovers. Today, I look forward to them.

The microwave oven was the world’s greatest invention, allowing all of those leftovers to be at our table in minutes.

While we may have smaller appetites, we can save money by ordering smaller meals and boxing our leftovers for another day.

Services provide everything from companionship to skilled nursing planning to remain in their home for as long as they can. And home care is one of the tools to make that possible.

When elder loved ones begin to require more care and attention, families immediately turn to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. But there are many more options available that allow seniors to remain at home while receiving attention from qualified healthcare workers.

Statewide 401-773-7401

• Visiting nurse services

• Home concierge services

• Geriatric care management

With home care, families can hire a trained professional to provide support as little or as often as needed. From a visiting companion who checks in on their wellbeing to a skilled nurse, there are a wide range of services available.

“Many families are looking for ways to deliver professional care for their loved one without moving them into a nursing facility. Home care offers a way to extend their stay at home, the place where they are most comfortable and at peace and feel safe,” said Caroline Rumowicz, the Director of Saint Elizabeth Home Care, formerly Cathleen Naughton Associates.

Apponaug, Warwick Neck, South Kingstown & Bristol 401-739-2844 and CNA

More and more, seniors are

Services cover a wide range including physical, occupational and speech therapy, nursing, bathing and personal care, meal preparation and light housekeeping, shopping, assistance with exercise, transportation and errands and, of course, companionship.

Rumowicz told the story of a client from Narragansett who retired from the Coast Guard and still loves the ocean. A Certified Nursing Assistant cares for him in the morning beginning with a drive to Dunkin Donuts to pick up a coffee. Then they ride to the beach together. After, she takes him to the YMCA where he participates in a group exercise class.

The CNA provides care and companionship to the client who lives on his own since his wife passed. She attends to his health and wellness, provides a valuable check-in and offers the opportunity to socialize and enjoy a muchloved activity.

In addition, many organizations, like Saint Elizabeth Home Care, offer specialized care for people experiencing memoryrelated conditions like Alzheimer’s or motion and movement challenges from diseases like Parkinson’s. Home care is also a great resource for anyone recovering from surgery or an illness. In the comfort of their own home, patients can work on the recovery process and regain their strength and mobility.

Health insurance plans often provide coverage for home care. The amount varies by provider. Based on a client’s eligibility, a care manager will work to coordinate the services they need as well as the frequency and scheduling. No matter where a client is located, there is an agency that serves that community. For a complete list, visit: https://health. ri.gov/healthcare/providers/ homehealthagencies/

Painfully slow climb. Anxiety-building wait on top. Then the fall. Up and down.

If you would like to step off the financial roller coaster onto solid ground, we have some suggestions: