Food
Food is an integral part of Greek culture, and Greek food is a strong feature of all Greek social, religious, cultural and family events (read more on Greek food under Greek Culture and Tradition). Whether in a community or a residential care setting, issues around food will inevitably arise. Food quality, culinary traditions, nutrition and diet, and religious fasting are all potential issues.
For many elderly Greek Australians the migration experience looms large, and this inevitably involves strong memories of war and poverty. Older Greek Australians can remember periods of severe food shortages, when the plentiful supply of a range of foods was something they could only dream of.
As with many immigrant communities, the aspiration in the new homeland to acquire those things once denied is very strong. This includes food. Given their memories of hardship and privation, being denied the plentiful foods available in Australia would require serious justification!
Medical Conditions
Having diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney disease, heart disease, anaemia or other medical conditions might seem reason enough to change one’s dietary habits. But such sound medical advice is often compromised by cultural attitudes and religious practices. There is a strong cultural view that the elderly person should be allowed to enjoy those things they find great pleasure in. Advice about foods and the dietary restrictions imposed for medical conditions may not be adhered to for this reason alone.
This is one of the reasons that family members visiting loved ones in residential care not only come loaded with home-cooked food parcels but that the food they bring may contradict doctor’s orders. Sensitive discussion and explanation of the medical importance of certain foods or food restrictions may be called for.
Fasting
For the religiously devout, adherence to a medically required diet may be contrary to a customary religious fast. You can find out more about this in Fasting customs. It is important to note that the Greek Orthodox church does not require adherence to such fasts if a person has to follow a medically recommended diet. If your elderly client still wishes to follow religious fasting customs this may require additional education, or even counselling from a Greek Orthodox priest.
For elderly Greek clients who wish to adhere to customary religious fasting and who don’t have medically recommended diets service providers need to support their client’s requirements. In residential services, appropriate food preparation and a sensitivity to religious dates is needed. In community care settings home meal deliveries should reflect the client’s fasting customs.
Food-related Activities
Residential and community care-givers should be aware that elderly Greek Australians often prefer Greek food. For service providers this means diversification of culinary traditions, appropriate food ordering and sensitive meal preparation. Client demand for this needs to be addressed at a planning and policy level. Food is a crucial issue when cultural appropriateness, quality of life and client satisfaction are the aims of aged care provision.
Engaging elders in organising and participating in food-related activities is worthwhile. Apart from your client’s physical and mental capacity, you need to identify clients’ interests and past activities. You may also consider involving family members in organising such activities. (In Activities for Practitioners there are many suggestions for activities around food preparation and eating.) For example, making Greek Easter eggs or Greek sweets may be enjoyable, but the occasion will be even more so if family members are included.
