Home Care in Wake Forest NC: Eating Well with Alzheimer’s
In the very early stages of Alzheimer’s, your mom may eat and cook meals like she always did. As her cognitive skills diminish, you might find her eating habits become poor. Malnutrition is a risk. Without the right nutrients, your mom’s health may decline in unexpected ways. Need help getting her to eat well? Here are some tips.
Listen to Her.
One of the best things to do is simply listen to her. As you age, your tastes may change. If you’re stocking your mom’s fridge with foods she no longer likes, she won’t be likely to eat them. Pay very close attention to the things she seems to enjoy.
Limit Her Options.
As her cognitive function declines, she may become agitated by having too many choices. You’ll find her struggling to pick a meal if you take her out. At home, she’ll likely stick to the same foods. When your mom is eating nothing but raspberry yogurt and bananas, she’s not getting all of the nutrients she needs.
There’s another problem to consider. The excess amounts of fruit and yogurt may change her bathroom habits too. If she’s already having a problem with bowel and bladder control, a diet high in beneficial bacteria and vitamin C won’t help anything.
Talk to Area Restaurants.
Does your mom like to go out to eat? Does she stick to very specific foods? Call area restaurants in advance and discuss your mom’s disease. You’d be surprised how many chefs are happy to customize a dish to suit your mom’s tastes. For example, one woman found her mother would clean her plate if she was given a BLT and onion rings. Her mom had never eaten onion rings before, but they’d become a favorite overnight.
After posting a message on a restaurant forum, she found many restaurant owners were more than happy to customize a menu. They had grandparents, parents, aunts, or uncles with dementia and understood the joy that a favorite meal could bring. Always ask if it’s possible before ruling a restaurant out.
There’s another way to make sure your mom is eating well when you have to be at work. Schedule a consultation with a home care agency today. With the help of a home care agency, you’ll know there’s a caregiver on hand to cook your mom nutritious meals that meet her preferences.
