Malnutrition and Alzheimer’s often go hand in hand, and many people who have this cognitive disorder are unable to get enough calories every day. If left untreated, malnutrition can worsen the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Luckily, with a solid dietary plan and a few changes to his or her eating habits, your senior loved one should be able to avoid some of those issues.
Work with Different Shapes, Colors, & Textures
As Alzheimer’s progresses, your loved one’s food preferences could change quite a bit. If your loved one no longer seems interested in foods he or she used to love, you might want to experiment with different colors and textures.
You should also cut up food into smaller pieces so your loved one doesn’t feel overwhelmed when sitting down to a meal. Trying to cut through dense foods can be stressful and confusing for seniors with Alzheimer’s, which could end up impacting your loved one’s appetite.
A trained Alzheimer’s caregiver can provide expertise and additional support to encourage your loved one to eat. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of home care service. Dana Point families can rely on Assisting Hands Home Care Dana Point to provide individualized care plans to meet their elderly loved ones’ unique care needs. Our caregivers help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and we offer mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia.
Remove Distractions during Mealtimes
Distractions are often a major problem for seniors who have Alzheimer’s. When it comes time to share a meal with your loved one, make sure he or she can focus on the food. The table should have nothing on it other than the plate, eating utensils, and a cup.
You should also close the curtains to eliminate any moving shadows in the room. Putting on some classical music at a low volume could drown out other noises and put your loved one at ease as well.
Offer Plenty of Snacks
You may reach the point where sitting down to a meal with your loved one is completely impractical. If that time ever comes, you may need to offer smaller snacks throughout the day. Sliced fruit and vegetables are excellent options for seniors with Alzheimer’s, and produce is packed with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.
Making your loved one nutrient-dense shakes and smoothies is another tactic you might want to use. An ice-cold smoothie with a few scoops of protein powder will fill your loved one up and provide plenty of energy.
Helping seniors get proper nutrition when they don’t want to eat can be challenging. If you’re the primary family caregiver for an elderly loved one and need additional assistance providing high-quality in-home care, Assisting Hands® Dana Point can help. We are a leading home care agency in South Orange County committed to changing the way seniors age.
Speak with the Pharmacist
Many older adults must take several pills every day, and drugs can have a huge impact on appetite. Whenever your loved one is prescribed a new medication, speak with the pharmacist about all the potential side effects. You can also ask the pharmacist about how the drugs are going to interact with one another.
If some of those medications cause nausea or act as an appetite suppressant, you might want to consider alternative doses or different drugs. Make sure to check with your loved one’s primary doctor, who can also give you recommendations on how to increase your loved one’s appetite.
Professional caregivers with specialized experience in Alzheimer’s care can be a wonderful source of support for older adults with the disease. Without the right assistance, Alzheimer’s can be challenging for seniors and their families to manage. If you’re looking for professional Alzheimer’s care, Assisting Hands® Dana Point provides high-quality care aging adults and their families can count on. All of our caregivers are trained to help seniors with Alzheimer’s live happier and healthier lives, and we also provide specialized dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care. Assisting Hands® Dana Point will work with you to customize a care plan that’s just right for your loved one’s needs. Call us today at (949) 426-7300 to discuss how we can give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your loved one is being cared for with professionalism and compassion.
