Challenging behaviours for people living with dementia: Eating and Drinking
By Welma Geldenhuys
Dementia is a progressive condition. Over time, a person living with Alzheimer’s or a type of dementia may display changes in behaviour at mealtimes. This can affect how they eat or drink. If you are a carer, you can do things to help them when drinking or eating.
How to help with eating and drinking at mealtimes.
If changes in behaviour are affecting eating and drinking, some things can help:
- Encouraging them to try the first mouthful to get a taste
- Using prompts, e.g. saying, “That’s nice.”
- If they open their mouth to a cup more readily than a spoon, try a few mouthfuls of fluid first, then move on to a spoon.
- Encourage them to feed themselves as much as possible, even if messy (Encourage independence as long as possible, maintain what they can do).
- Experimenting with different tastes and textures. A person living with dementia does have a decrease in smell and/or taste. A decrease in taste or smell can also be due to the side effects of medication.
- People with dementia often prefer sweet foods and sweeten meals by adding sugar, maple syrup, or ketchup.
- What if preferences change and they develop a preference for sweeter foods?
- Think creative: Use sweeter toppings in savoury dishes – sweet pastry on vegetables, meat, or fish dishes. Try savoury dishes already containing sweet flavours – sweet and sour sauces, honey-glazed ham, gammon and pineapple, and sweeter curry. Using herbs and spices to enhance flavours.
Causes:
Possible Emotional factors:
- The progress of the actual disease.
- Overeating or an insatiable appetite can also be a disease symptom.
- Chronic illness.
- Dry mouth
- Sores in the mouth
- Cannot see what they are eating due to vision changes.
- Jaw muscles are not working properly, and there are chewing problems.
- Tendency to choke and general difficulty in swallowing.
- Forgetting what to do next.
- Rushed by others.
Where to find help and support?
Living with dementia can bring different changes to a person’s life that are INDIVIDUAL to them.
As carer, there are ways you can help support them in their everyday life and activities.
If you are concerned about eating challenges/behaviour, go to a relevant health professional such as:
- Dietitian
- Physiotherapist
- Occupational therapist
- Speech and language therapist
If they don’t eat enough or eat unhealthy food, they can become vulnerable to other illnesses.
CONTACT ADASA (Association for Dementia and Alzheimer’s of South Africa NPC) FOR ANY SUPPORT OR HELP.
Helpline: 086 010 2681