Are you finding it’s getting more and more difficult to complete a meal with your loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease? As the disease has progressed, you might have noticed that meal times are becoming more difficult. Your loved one may not like what you’re serving and refuse to join the meal or she might become distracted or disengaged during the meal, raising your concern that she’s not eating enough. It’s okay to ask for help and an Alzheimer’s care provider is ready to step in and assist in whatever way possible to support both you and your loved one.
You may be at a point in caregiving where mealtimes are causing such stress that it’s affecting how you and your loved one look at mealtime. That is a normal reaction when a favorite activity has become stressful. The good news is there are steps you can take to help mealtime get back on course.
How an Alzheimer’s Care Provider Can Help with Meals
When it comes to meals and encouraging your loved one to eat, Alzheimer’s care aides are experts and have many strategies they can use to bring peace back to the dinner table.
Tips Your Alzheimer’s Care Provider Might Use At Mealtime
Using Smaller Portions
Sometimes too much food on a plate can be overwhelming to an individual with Alzheimer’s. The food becomes one big stressful mess and they don’t know where or how to start. Your Alzheimer’s care provider will arrange the food on the plate in such a way that it’s easy to know what is what. This often involves smaller portions that don’t touch each other on the plate, making it easy for your loved one to identify each item.
Having the Food Ready to Eat
For many Alzheimer’s patients, having someone reach over their plate to cut their meat or butter their bread interrupts the meal flow and can distract them so much, that they won’t get back to eating. Or it can frustrate them and cause them to become agitated. Your Alzheimer’s care provider will make sure when that plate is set before your loved one, everything is ready for her to eat so she can begin the process.
Providing Gentle Tips and Prompts
Your Alzheimer’s care provider will assess during the meal if your loved one needs gentle prompts or reminders to continue to eat when distraction seems to pull her away from the meal. She might use words to remind her to continue eating or even a gentle touch or guiding her hands over to an item to enjoy.
Practicing Patience
A meal may take a lot longer than it used to. As a caregiver, you could sit next to your loved one for an hour or more, waiting for her to finish her meal, all while thinking of all of the other things you need to be taking care of. An Alzheimer’s care provider is there just for that. They’ll patiently wait for each morsel to be eaten without pressuring your loved one. They’ll help when needed as well as let your loved one do what she can for herself without rushing her.
Mealtime is just one way an Alzheimer’s care provider can help you provide the best care for your loved one with Alzheimer’s.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s Care Services in Medfield MA, please get in touch with the caring staff at Care Resolutions, Inc. today. (508) 906-5572
CARE Resolutions, Inc. provides quality 24-Hour Home Care for seniors and families in Walpole, Dover, Wellesley, Framingham, Norfolk, Quincy, Weston, Medfield, Boston, Sherborn MA, and surrounding areas.
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