Many types of dementia can cause difficulties with eating, drinking and swallowing (dysphagia). Up to 93% of people with Alzheimer’s have dysphagia at some point during their dementia diagnosis, though it does tend to occur in the later stages of the disease. Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties can lead to reduced oral intake, malnutrition, weight loss, dehydration, chest infections and pneumonia. However, there are lots of ways to help someone with dementia to eat and drink well.
There are lots of reasons that Alzheimer’s causes difficulties with lots of different aspects of eating, drinking and swallowing:
- Difficulty recognising food or drinks
- Being unsure of how to use cutlery or crockery or forgetting how to eat/drink/feed themselves
- Forgetting to eat and drink regularly
- Difficulty communicating that they are hungry or thirsty
- Not being able to recognise when they are hungry or thirsty
- Concentration can become more difficult, so sitting for a full meal is very tricky
- Having mouth care issues, such as thrush, dental pain or poor oral hygiene that they are unable to communicate effectively
- Food preferences not being adhered to (for example, in a care home) or new food preferences (such as now preferring sweet food when they never had a ‘sweet tooth’ before)
- Dysphagia i.e. difficulties chewing food, food or drink ‘going down the wrong way’ – for more information on signs of dysphagia, check out our article here
Top Tips
- Offer food and drink on a little and often basis – giving people plenty of opportunities to eat and drink whilst not ‘over facing’ them with too much usually helps
- Encourage their participation in preparing the food in whatever way they can – it could be mixing or mashing food, setting the table or pressing “Go” on the microwave
- Eat together – create a relaxed atmosphere that is familiar to them and their usual mealtime routine
- Help them to eat or drink in whatever way they need – it could be chopping up their meat, ‘starting them off’ by putting some food on the spoon and giving it to them or fully assisting them with food and drink (if needed)
- Offer finger foods and leave snack bowls around the house
- Get extra fluids in via their food by offering extra sauces, gravies, custard, jellies, yoghurts, ice-lollies and ice-creams and also in calorific drinks, such as smoothies and milkshakes
- Get extra calories in by using full fat cream, milk, cheese etc.
- Use crockery that contrasts with the colour of the food, for example, using a blue plate for lasagne (red/white) and using a red cup for milk
- Add in extra flavour to food e.g. extra salt (if it is medically safe), pepper, ketchup, pickle etc.
- Try adapted easy grip cutlery and beakers with 2 handles
- Try alternating warm/cold e.g. warm soup and a very cold fizzy lemonade or cold ice-cream and a warm cup of tea – this can help to trigger the swallow if they hold food or drink in their mouth
For more top tips on how to manage dysphagia, then have a read of our article. Do make sure that any food or drink you offer is in line with any advice you have had from your Speech and Language Therapist. If you or your loved one is having trouble with eating, drinking and swallowing due to Alzheimer’s dementia and you need support, then don’t hesitate to contact us. Age UK also have a brilliant guide all about eating and drinking well with dementia – check it out here.
