Not eating properly in dementia
As your loved one’s disease progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to navigate nutrition and dementia. People in dementia care often become malnourished, experience weight loss or weight gain, or become dehydrated. This is caused by a number of reasons, including change in their relationship with food, depression, forgetting to eat or coordination issues, health problems and more. In this article, we have provided some simple tips to help your elder stay nourished and hydrated.
Identifying the cause of undereating and dehydration
As dementia progresses, it gets harder to maintain a healthy diet. The person might have dental problems, bad teeth or ill-fitting dentures. Issues with chewing and swallowing can make them avoid mealtimes. Depression and anxiety are common in people with dementia, resulting in reduced appetite. As dementia progresses, they may experience co-ordination issues, problems using cutlery, and their favourite foods might change or become unrecognisable. Finally, urinary tract infections and other health problems or pain deter your loved one from eating and drinking, so it’s important to get to the bottom of the issue and help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. Find out more in our article on dehydration here. We also have an article on UTIs in dementia care, when looking after your loved ones.
Tips for enjoyable mealtimes
If your loved one’s issues surrounding food are dementia-related, and not the consequence of other health issues, certain tips and tricks help them enjoy food and make the most of balanced nutrition. Try serving colourful food on a plate that contrasts with the meal, making it easily identifiable and eye-catching. Eliminate the need for cutlery, by offering finger foods like cut up fruit and veg, sandwiches, chicken pieces, fish fingers, meatballs and more. This is also helpful if the person with dementia doesn’t want to sit down for their meal. Present them with food that is the right temperature, as waiting for it to cool down becomes a deterrent and they could burn themselves. Don’t overwhelm dementia patient with too much choice – offer two options for food and avoid overloading their plate. If possible, sit with your loved one to provide a sense of companionship at mealtimes and offer gentle prompts to help them with their meal. Enjoying food together could remind them how to eat. If dehydration becomes an issue, try flavoured water or juice, and avoid caffeine. People with dementia often develop different and even strange tastes, so be adaptable and accommodating. Keeping your loved one active will stimulate their appetite and, maintaining set mealtimes at the time they get hungry, will ensure they eat appropriate amount of food.
Recommended diet for dementia
Nutrition and dementia are closely linked, so the best diet for dementia is one high in nutritious fruits and vegetables, as well as omega 3 fatty acids from nuts and seeds, to help with cognitive function. If undereating is your primary concern, avoid low calorie foods and, instead, opt for smoothies, protein shakes and other high calorie options that are easy to implement in your loved one’s diet. For people who struggle to chew or swallow, try soft foods like cottage cheese, yoghurt, soups and more. Should it become challenging to get adequate nutrition from food alone, speak to a doctor about medical nutrition, which is available in the form of a drink and provides energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Watch out for signs highlighting that your loved one has become dehydrated or malnourished and consult a GP, if you have any concerns.
If you are looking for a care finding service in dementia, please see our free care finding service here.
