Making Mealtime Easier With Your Loved One

Mealtimes are thought to be one of the key cornerstones to a family’s health, but when you are caring for an elderly loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease, mealtimes can easily become a stressful time. But meals together are still an important part of your day, and for your elderly loved one, they provide an anchor to reality. Learning new ways to enjoy a meal together is important for all family members, but especially your elderly loved one. Memory care services can help.

Why Mealtimes are Important to Dementia Patients

There are lots of reasons why still having a regular family mealtime is important to your loved one.

• The most basic reason is sustenance. Alzheimer’s patients often forget to eat and aren’t reminded of hunger by hunger pains due to their health condition. Mealtimes provide the needed routine of a time to sit, eat, and consume the needed calories to stay active and alert.
• Mealtimes spark memories. If your family has always enjoyed meals together, continuing that tradition for your loved one can help those memories stay alive. Favorite foods, preferred dishware, and even the way the light streams through the kitchen window can help them recall precious memories.
• Mealtimes support daily routines. Many Alzheimer’s patients lose track of the day, are unsure what time it is, or whether it’s day or night. Having breakfast at the same time each day helps them ground themselves and remember that it’s morning and that their day is just beginning.
• Mealtimes keep social engagement skills exercised. If you eat together or have someone join them at each meal like a memory care provider, your loved one can use mealtimes to connect with others and feel like they are still part of the community.

When Mealtimes are a Struggle

All that said, it’s not always just as easy as making a plate of food and sitting with your loved one at the dinner table to enjoy it together. Mealtimes can also spark confusion and struggles for your elderly loved one, so you might need to adjust how they look now to help your loved one and others enjoy meals together.

Here are a few tips to make mealtime more pleasant.

• Try enjoying meals at the same time each day. Having a routine can protect your loved one from getting anxious when regular daily patterns aren’t followed.
• Speaking of routine, if your loved one has a favorite seat, a favorite mug, or a favorite TV show to watch during a meal, keep as many of those things consistent as possible.
• Let mealtime linger. Your loved one may be a lot slower about eating now, so have patience if what used to be a 15-minute meal now takes almost an hour. Plan plenty of time to finish a meal.
• Encourage independence. Allow your loved one to still do what they can – whether serving more finger foods so they can feed themselves or providing a spill-proof cup so they can use it on their own.
• Get help as needed. Sometimes you might just need a little extra help. Memory care providers can help your loved one during mealtimes if you find you need an extra person to step in. A memory care provider might help cut up food, guide the eating process, or provide distractions if your loved one often gets upset at mealtime.

Mealtimes may look different, but still be an important part of your day with your loved one.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Memory Care in Five Forks, SC, please contact the caring staff at The Springs at Simpsonville today. 864-962-8570