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As a caregiver, which nutritionist certification is best suited for a caregiver nourishing an elderly person meal to meal?
That’s the challenge we set out to solve.
My wife and I recently put our heads together to come up with an online education program that would put us one step ahead serving as family caregivers to my elderly dad.
Among the many aspects of caregiving, my wife is particularly interested nutrition. She cooks lunch and dinner most weekdays, and explores exotic ingredients from Asian markets around the Central Michigan and Lansing areas.
Community nutritionist Sheena Rafferty four most common elderly-related nutrition problems: overweight, underweight, constipation, diabetes.
So when my dad strains through his Parkinson’s to lift a finger for a Klondike Bar, maybe I should be more concerned about how the sugar and dairy content could affect his health.
Diabetes is related to sugar regulation. High-dairy foods may contribute to constipation.
Rafferty goes on to list at-risk nutrients in the elderly population, and recommends a caregiver grocery store shopping list with specific foods to help old people get the main nutrients they especially need: Protein, Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Calcium, Fiber, Fluid
I’m beginning to reconsider if me and my dad eating Hungry Mans and Red Barons at night after my mom goes to bed is healthy father-son activity?
If I got certified, I’d be able to make healthier snack time decisions with Big Poppa so he and I can spend more time together on the planet.
Since we’re family caregivers already, we’re not considering a new career in nutrition. We’re looking to give dad the healthiest possible diet to manage his several compounding aging-related diseases, and to have a certificate to show for it.
We don’t need a 4-year dietician degree.
For you Michiganders in the audience, Governor Rick Snyder repealed requirements for nutritionists licenses in Michigan. That means getting a nutritionist certificate online doesn’t give you any special privileges or license. Legally, anyone can be a nutritionist.
The titles Registered Dietitian (RD) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is a different story. In order to become a licensed registered dietician in Michigan, you must complete a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program, plus supervised clinical hours, plus pass the state exam.
For a foodie caregiver of an aging family member, that’s more responsibility than I’m ready to sign up for.
The most practical way to cook healthier meals for elderly people…
I call it YouTube University, because it’s the world’s largest library of videos you can learn from.
YouTube doesn’t get you a certificate, but it’s 100% free. If you’re already short on time, or short on money. Why not trial run learning more about nutrition for the aging by watching a few YouTube videos, and cooking what you learn.
What’s even better about the “curriculum” on YouTube, is you make it whatever you want. You already search on YouTube for the flavors and nutritional benefits you want.
The real certificates up next take more time, cost money, and have a set curriculum.
The least-effort and lowest-cost way to get a certification for learning about the nutrition needs of aging people…
Hosted on the well known EdX platform, the course is completely free. You can pay about $50 to get perks like graded assignments and a PDF certificate upon completion.
The course takes a recommended 4 weeks to complete at 2-4 hours per week, but if you’re auditing the course (taking it for free without certification or human support), then it’s self-paced so you could hypothetically finish the entire aging nutrition course in a weekend.
Or you could watch an entire season of Longmire this weekend. Time passes either way.
Least-expensive option for serious learners who want a legitimate certification…
The American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA) offers course that’s exactly on the topic of nutrition for seniors.
The Senior Nutrition Specialist Certification costs $500 and is self-paced.
You can join without any prior nutrition education, however the AFPA highly recommends having completed one of their basic courses before starting this one. That’s all good because the AFPA offers several cost-effective bundles of several courses together, again, at lower costs than comparable prestigious certifications.
Best if you believe in magic and want to make a potion to cure your dad’s Parkinson’s…
eCornell is the online Cornell that’s open to the paying public. The Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate Program is the most unique of eCornell’s handful of nutrition-based e-courses.
Beyond promoting a high-vegetables diet, the course teaches you applications of all-natural ingredients to improve the lives of the aging and those with chronic disease.
Ranked the best overall nutrition certification, but not specifically for elderly nutrition…
Precision Nutrition is a respected institution that puts you on track to become a certified nutrition coach.
A Level 1 Nutrition Certification costs $999 and takes about 2 to 6 months to complete the course, pass the exam, and receive your certification.
You could choose to specialize for any age range: from a wide net “over the hill” to a narrow focus of bed-ridden and hospice situations.
The course materials and assignments covers nutrition science which can be applied to any age group.
A cheap alternative to Precision Nutrition…
In fact, the International Sports Science Association (ISSA) has partnered with Precision Nutrition to offer a lower-cost program at just over $600 for a 6 month complete course with exam and PDF certificate document.
I’ve ranked it last because it’s “a step down from Precision”, and the elephant in the room: it’s not specifically for the older generation’s nutrition needs.
