Welcome to Alicia’s monthly advice column where she’ll provide tips on caring for a loved one with dementia. Alicia Seaver is the Director of Memory Care at Bridges® by EPOCH and is a certified memory impairment specialist. This month’s topic is encouraging healthy habits.
As we leave winter behind, it’s easy to feel reenergized by the longer days, warmer weather and the opportunity to spend more time in the refreshing outdoors. As such, spring is not only a great time to encourage healthy habits in yourself, but also in your loved one.
Eat healthy together, but be adaptive. A balanced diet is a good foundation for any person and is just as important for a loved one living with dementia. By eating, and cooking, together you can also make it a social activity. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein are a good base, as is cutting down on sugar and salt. Often, the key to keeping your loved one interested in their meal is to serve a variety of foods in a variety of ways—i.e. serve whole fruit with yogurt one morning, then serve fruit in a smoothie the next.
The reality is their appetites will change as the disease progresses and the loss of appetite could be due to a number of factors, including a decreased sense of taste and no longer recognizing the food on their plate. There are a number of ways to counteract a loss of appetite, but they will require some adaptability on your part, including:
- Serving smaller portions. If the portions are too large, your loved one could lose their appetite once the food starts to get cold. Or, perhaps they simply don’t want their meals to be as large as ones they previously enjoyed. Instead serve smaller meals, with snacks in between.
- Using bright colors to appeal to your loved one. It might become hard for your loved one to differentiate food from their plate. Use solid-colored plates (not white) to create a contrast between their food and the plate. Brightly colored foods, like certain fruits and veggies, will also help.
- Getting creative for flavor. Cutting down on salt doesn’t mean meals need to lack flavor—try using fresh herbs and spices instead.
Find a comprehensive list of eating and drinking tips here.
Pursue physical activities outdoors. Getting fresh air daily can have a great effect on anyone, and for a loved one with dementia, it can also help to reduce the occurrence of sundowning. A lack of physical activity can also lead to reduced appetite. By pursuing outdoor activities together, you once again make it a social activity and an opportunity for connection. Naturally, the activities you pursue outdoors will vary with their abilities, but here are a few simple ideas:
- Garden together. Gardening is a wonderful way to enjoy the fresh air while keeping your hands occupied, and working firsthand with the wonders of nature can be an incredible mood-booster.
- Take walks to the local park, particularly if there is a peaceful bench to sit on and enjoy a sunny day.
- Start an exercise routine outdoors (if the day isn’t too warm). Set up two chairs in your backyard and do chair exercises with your loved one. Or pursue easy Yoga and meditation together.
Think about mental stimulation as well. Mental stimulation is so important in helping your loved one lead a fulfilling life, and it’s also important to your own wellbeing. My last advice column offered tips on a variety of ways to engage your loved one at home. Think of hobbies you could pursue together, like painting or a weekly craft that you and your loved one can feel satisfaction in completing.
Allow each other to have your own space. Sometimes your loved one will want to be left alone and that’s okay, and sometimes you need your own space too—moments to yourself when that’s what you want are key to a healthy state of mind. Let your loved one have quiet moments to themselves, and give yourself time to refresh as well, whether that includes calling a trusted friend, family member or neighbor over to stay with your loved one, or looking into a day program for your loved one.
Healthy habits in your loved one often start with you, and by making it a joint effort, you can be an encouragement to each other.
If there is a topic you would like Alicia to discuss, please send suggestions to [email protected].