They might feel overwhelmed by choice and might not be able to decide what to eat
They might forget to eat or drink and not recognise that they’re hungry or thirsty
They might be unable to tell you what it is they’d like to eat
They might be too distracted to eat
They might lose their appetite or be daunted by large meals and big portions
Their food preferences might change – they might start to enjoy tastes and flavours they previously disliked. It’s also very common for people with dementia to start to prefer sweet food, even if they didn’t used to have a sweet tooth.
If you’re caring for someone with dementia and they have a sudden loss of appetite, it’s important to speak to their GP and find out the cause. But if you notice a gradual decline in appetite, this can be normal as taste buds can diminish due to dementia.
The best way to make sure the person you’re caring for gets enough calories is to serve smaller, more regular meals, so that portion sizes aren’t too daunting. Working out a routine will help with this.
Other eating challenges
If the person you’re caring for has started to eat more than usual and is gaining weight, try to find out the cause – they might be bored or restless. Dementia can also cause an increase in sugar cravings, so they may want to eat more chocolate and cakes than before.
As the disease progresses, the person may lose weight and not want to eat much. If this happens, it’s important to speak to the person’s GP who might recommend supplements to have between meals to top up their calorie intake. High calorie protein shakes or milkshakes may be a good idea.
Over time, a person with dementia may lose the ability to use cutlery or be unsure what food is on the plate, as dementia can affect a person’s ability to interpret what they see. While they might want to retain some independence and won’t necessarily want you cutting food up in front of them or showing them what to do, below are some useful tips to make eating easier.
Tips for ensuring a good diet
Planning meals will help you keep an overview on what’s being eaten, helping you to make note of changing tastes and ensuring a good balance of nutrients. Download our Meal Planner here to help you with this and use it when shopping.
Include drinks, meal and snack times in your routine so that you know you’re allowing the person you care for enough time and don’t have to rush or stress about what to serve to eat
If cutlery is becoming a challenge, add more finger foods to the menu. Good choices include:
Breakfast: muffins, teacakes or crumpets
Lunch: fish fingers or fish cakes, mini quiches, mini pizzas or chicken drumsticks
Tea: sandwiches, cheese on toast, paninis
Dessert: fruit salad, ice cream or a sorbet in a cone
Use brightly coloured plates. Buy plates in colours such as yellow and blue so that the colour of the plate is different to the colour of the food – it makes it easier for someone with dementia to see the food on offer.
Open packets and cut food up if necessary, but do it discreetly – before you put the food on the plate – to avoid any embarrassment.
Gently prompt the person you’re caring for to keep eating if they stop, but don’t nag. If they stop eating, try pointing to the food and saying how nice it looks rather than telling them to keep eating.
Keep snacks to hand to avoid low energy levels, which can lead to dizziness and confusion. Try:
Fruit e.g. apple slices, berries, cubes of melon
Oat cakes or crackers/breadsticks
Houmous
Unpitted olives
Carrot and celery sticks
Cubes of cheese
Cucumber slices
Yogurt
Small pots of nuts
Breakfast cereal with full fat milk
Think drink
Dehydration can cause health issues – from headaches and grumpiness to constipation and urinary tract infections – set reminders so that the person you’re caring for drinks regularly.
Ideally, this will be water, but tea (including fruit and herbal teas) counts too. Try to avoid drinking fizzy drinks or high-sugar juices as they’re not great for teeth.
Keep a lidded drinking cup with straw close to hand and top it up with water in the morning. You can buy ones with lines/timed markers on the side – a handy visual reminder to stay hydrated.
Treat yourselves
If you can, try to take the person you’re caring for out for a meal occasionally. It can be a good way to get them to eat more than usual – for example, they may choose to have a starter and a pudding as well as a main course. Getting them to take in more calories than usual is reassuring if you feel they aren’t always eating enough at home.
*A note about eating
Be careful with food temperatures. Hot foods should be warm and not too hot to avoid the risk of the person you’re caring for burning their mouth. Chop fruit up into small pieces (especially grapes, melon and bananas) to minimise choking risk.
–Download your handy Meal Planner here
–Read more about eating well here