Making sure your loved one is properly nourished
Nutrition: The process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth.
Nutrition and middle to late stages Alzheimer’s is not always a good combination—when eating a tasty meal, snack or consuming that scrumptious treat is no longer desirable to the patient, nutritional issues can easily set in.
This is the result of a variety reasons:
- The patient becomes overwhelmed with too many food choices
- Have difficulty in remembering how to eat
- They are unable to properly and effectively use utensils and dishes
- Their perception of the food changes, such as smell and taste
- They are easily distracted and forget to eat what is on their plate
There are several ways, as a caregiver, to make sure your loved one is receiving the proper nutrition, as well as making sure they are in a stress free environment while eating.
- Give the person plenty of time to eat.
- Pay attention to what they can and cannot do. They may be get frustrated and refuse to eat.
- Use dishes and eating utensils that are easy for them to maneuver—this also includes their drinking cups. Use red plates— The plate’s red color provides a higher contrast between food and plate, especially for those who may be suffering from visual impairment.
- Serve foods that are easy for them to consume—this can be finger foods, sandwiches, etc. Anything that requires cutting with a knife may prove to be too difficult for them.
- Because chewing and swallowing can become more difficult in these later stages, cutting up food into bit size pieces, as well as serving them a bowl of softer food may be optimal. (avoid hard to chew foods like raw vegetables, meat and nuts that can get caught in their throat increasing the likelihood of them choking.
- Pay attention to the person’s food preferences. What they loved in the past may no longer be desirable to them—conversely, introducing new foods to replace the old ones, can be a good option.
Often, the appetite decreases due to their inactivity, which may result in lower than desirable nutritional standards. Supplemental shakes is always an option as it tends to be easier to consume through a straw rather than the chewing motion.
As always, if you see your loved one is starting to suffer from malnutrition, consult with their doctor as soon as possible. They may recommend other supplements to make up for what the patient is not eating.
