Eating and Drinking: Seven Essential Tips / Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, we've learned eating and drinking become significant challenges. Through our experiences, and what we've learned from support groups and others on their journeys, we've developed seven important tips to help you and your care receiver navigate dining.
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Additional Resources Mentioned
Episode 13 - Incontinence Overnight here
These resources contain affiliate links so we may receive a small commission for purchases made at no additional cost to you.
Bibs here Spork here Lowbowls here Grippy placemats here Other great caregiver dining aid products here Takeaways
Tip 1: Observe Their Natural Eating Habits
Observe and record how they naturally eat and drink (e.g., time of day, order, how they cut their food, which hand they use for each utensil). Continuously observe, adjust, and share with others who are helping your care receiver with their eating and drinking.
Tip 2: Utilize Pre-made Meals and Visual Cues
Leave pre-made meals in easily accessible places (e.g., eye-level in the refrigerator). Use visual cues like notes on the refrigerator or preset table settings with a note where the plate will go that tells your care receiver where the meal is. Check to make sure they have actually eaten their food and finished what they had to drink so you know if they’re able to understand what to do.
Tip 3: Pre-cut Food, Adjust Portions, Observe How They’re Able to Eat and Drink
Pre-cut food into manageable pieces. Consider converting sandwiches and other foods into finger foods. Be aware of changes in hand stability, grip strength, vision, and coordination. Some people with dementia diagnoses lose regulation with their appetite. It’s important for us to observe how they’re eating and the portions they’re eating to make sure they’re getting the proper amount of food. Introduce non-breakable drinkware, consider tops or adult sippy cups.
Tip 4: Prepare for Messier Eating
Consider using regular bibs or large disposable bibs Place a towel on the chair to catch spills. Keep a basket of cleaning supplies (e.g. paper towels, hand wipes, table wipes) handy for quick clean-ups.
Tip 5: Simplify Eating Utensils and Tableware
Low bowls with a slight rim make it easier to push food onto utensils Sporks combine the functions of spoons and forks, so one utensil can be used. Grippy placemats keep plates from sliding.
Tip 6: Monitor and Adjust Nutrition
Watch for unexplained weight loss or gain. Consult with doctors if you notice sudden changes. If you move your care receiver to a memory care community, develop nutrition plans and weight monitoring processes and stay actively engaged with them.
Tip 7: Gradually Take Over Feeding and Hydration
Position yourself closer to them at mealtimes to make assistance easier. What begins as prompting them to eat or drink and gradually increases to handing them their utensils and/or putting food on their utensils, showing them their drinking glass becomes modifying their drinking glass to make it easier for them to use, to eventually fully feeding them and controlling their beverages. Read More in This Blog here
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