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Maintaining good nutrition
For a person with Alzheimer's disease, the illness itself, medications used to treat the disorder, or associated depression can affect the desire and ability to eat. Good nutrition is important for people with Alzheimer's disease. In fact, poor nutrition can worsen some symptoms of dementia, such as listlessness and confusion.
If poor appetite is becoming a concern for your loved one, try following these nutrition guidelines.
General guidelines:
- Talk to the doctor. Sometimes poor appetite is due to depression, which can be treated. Your loved one also may be suffering from a treatable disorder--such as heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, or sore mouth--that may be affecting his or her eating. Remember that some medications, including the cholinesterase inhibitors used to treat Alzheimer's disease, can cause loss of appetite or nausea.
- Don't force feed. Try to encourage the person to eat, and try to find out why he or she doesn't want to eat (not hungry, the food is cold or doesn't taste good, etc.).
- Remember to treat the person as an adult, not a child. Don't punish the person for not eating.
- Serve small, frequent meals and snacks.
- Walking or participating in other light activities can help stimulate the appetite.
- Consider finger foods that are easy to handle and eat.
- Adaptive equipment, such as plate guards or silverware with specially designed handles, is available for individuals who have difficulty holding or using utensils.
Meal guidelines:
- Serve beverages after a meal instead of before or during a meal so that the person does not feel full before starting to eat.
- Plan meals to include favorite foods.
- Use your imagination to increase the variety of food you're serving. Prepare meals that offer different textures, colors, and temperatures.
Snack guidelines:
- Don't waste your energy preparing foods that provide little or no nutritional value (such as potato chips, candy bars, sodas, and other snack foods).
- Choose high-protein and high-calorie snacks.
Dining guidelines:
- Make food preparation an easy task: Choose foods that are easy to prepare and eat.
- Make eating a pleasurable experience, not a chore: Liven up meals by using colorful place settings; play background music during meals.
- Use colorful garnishes such as parsley and red or yellow peppers to make food look more appealing and appetizing.
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