Caring for a loved one with dementia is both rewarding and incredibly challenging. One of the biggest difficulties facing caregivers is making sure their loved one is staying as healthy as possible.
As dementia progresses, it becomes increasingly important for caregivers to make sure their loved one is practicing healthy habits. This is because living a healthy lifestyle can improve the quality of life for people with dementia – and can even help slow the progression of the disease, in some cases. And a healthy lifestyle begins, in most part, through the food we eat.
Nutrition plays a huge role in all aspects of our health. As we get older, however, it can be a challenge for people with dementia to get the nutrition they need from the food they eat. As their cognitive function declines, eating can become difficult in a variety of ways. It’s important for caregivers to understand the challenges facing their loved ones and find options to make it easy to eat well.
Our nutritional needs shift throughout our life based on our age, our health and other factors. Nutrition becomes even more important for seniors because their metabolism slows down – yet their nutritional needs ramp up. Eating the right foods will help keep weight gain down, increase overall health and improve quality of life. For those with dementia, nutrition can also help manage behavioral symptoms.
Let’s not overlook the fact that eating well can help caregivers as well. Generally, familial caregivers will eat the same foods as their loved ones. Healthy eating makes you feel better, gives you more energy, allows you to sleep more deeply, improves your mood and makes you a better caregiver overall. Remember, it’s important to care for yourself, too – and healthy nutrition is a great framework for making that happen.
Tips for Making Smart Nutritional Choices
Here’s some good news: your loved one with dementia doesn’t need to eat a fancy, special diet. It all boils down to eating well-balanced, nutritious meals – something that all of us can benefit from. Here are a few easy-to-follow tips for providing a balanced diet for you and your loved one.
- Fill your plates with a variety of fresh foods. Fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats should all be present in your diet.
- Limit foods that have high cholesterol or saturated fat. Opt for fats that are proven to help heart health, like olive oil, Omega-3s or nuts, and go light on things like butter, lard and fatty cuts of meat.
- Reduce the amount of refined sugar present in your diet. Sugar adds calories without adding nutrition, and can also exacerbate the symptoms of dementia.
- Cut down on salt, which can increase blood pressure and cause cardiovascular problems. Instead, use herbs or spices to season food and make it more palatable.
- Make sure your loved one stays hydrated. Offer liquids throughout the day (you can infuse water with fruit to make it more appealing), or make sure there are plenty of foods available with a high water content like fruit, soup, smoothies or milkshakes.
One of the biggest nutritional challenges facing caregivers is when their loved one with dementia doesn’t have an appetite. It can be very difficult to force someone to eat when they don’t want to. However, loss of appetite isn’t just something that happens – there’s usually a reason why your loved one doesn’t want to eat. Here are some things to look for that can help overcome a loss of appetite and get your loved one eating.
- Your loved one isn’t recognizing the food you put on his or her plate. Opt for foods that he or she knows, and get them involved in preparing the food so they are better able to recognize what’s in front of them.
- Their teeth or dentures may hurt. If eating is painful, the person may refuse food. Check to make sure the loss of appetite isn’t due to some underlying pain problem.
- Medications can affect appetite, so if there’s a sudden change, call your doctor and discuss options.
- Not getting enough exercise will decrease appetite, so be sure your loved one is getting enough movement through walking, gardening, washing dishes or other physical activity.
- Your loved one’s taste and smell may be decreasing, and he or she could be refusing to eat because food isn’t as enjoyable as it once was. Consider speaking to a nutritionist for tips on how to make food more palatable.
Making Good Nutrition Easy for Your Loved One
People with dementia can become easily distracted or agitated at mealtimes because of a variety of factors. In order to make mealtime a more pleasant experience – and to make eating a joy instead of a chore – here are some things you can do for your loved one.
- Reduce distractions by eating in a quiet location and turning off the television or radio.
- Only put items on the table that are necessary for the meal. Table arrangements or decorations can confuse or distract the person. Consider serving one food at a time to avoid overwhelming him or her.
- Make sure that there is enough contrast between the food, the plate and the utensils. Spatial and visual abilities can diminish in dementia, so use contrasting colors to help differentiate things for your loved one.
- Check the food temperature before serving your loved one – someone with dementia may not be able to tell if food is too hot.
- Be flexible. Your loved one may suddenly have changes in food preferences or reject foods they always loved before. Have options available in order to make sure he or she gets enough to eat.
- Take your time. There’s no need to rush through a meal. Encourage your loved one to chew thoroughly and swallow their food carefully. Eating may take a lot longer than usual, so be prepared to sit for a while.
- Eat meals together. Making mealtime a social event means that everyone looks forward to it. Studies show that people – particularly seniors – will make better food choices and eat more when they’re with others.
- Choose adaptive silverware and dishes that make it easier for your loved one to eat. For example, you could use plates with rims, or serve food with oversized utensils.
- Serve finger foods. Try bite-sized foods that are easy to pick up, such as chicken nuggets, fish sticks, tuna sandwiches, orange segments, steamed broccoli or cauliflower pieces. Make sure that foods are easy to chew and swallow.
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