Alzheimer’s disease can severely impair a patient’s ability to accomplish daily tasks, including dining. From declined sensory perception to coordination problems, Alzheimer’s patients’ difficulties in eating can be very complicated. Such challenges can make mealtime less enjoyable for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers, especially if they aren’t properly trained to manage such issues. Here’s why memory care dining in Marrero, LA can be a great step to take to reinvigorate your loved ones’ mealtimes, with the help of professionally trained caregivers and other measures in place.
Creates a Conducive Atmosphere
Alzheimer’s patients frequently struggle with concentration and focus, which leads to them feeling overwhelmed easily in situations that require them to multitask. Some at-home caregivers such as family members tend to make the mistake of keeping the television and other attention-grabbing devices playing, which serve as a constant distraction that takes an Alzheimer’s patient’s focus away from their food. Thankfully, memory care communities design their dining environments to be as distraction-free as possible. This prevents any residents with Alzheimer’s disease from getting distracted as easily, becoming disinterested, or even distressed during mealtimes.
Makes Eating Less Intimidating
Alzheimer’s patients experience impaired visual and spatial abilities, causing them to experience food differently from other adults without this disease. Memory care communities understand Alzheimer’s patients need to have their food presented differently, which is why they further encourage their residents with Alzheimer’s disease to eat by making eating less of an intimidating process. For example, they may use adaptive dinnerware and brightly colored plates and linens to make sure any resident with Alzheimer’s disease can easily recognize the food from its serving dish. Furthermore, they frequently check food and beverage temperatures before serving, because of how Alzheimer’s patients may not be able to determine if their food is too hot.
Serving Appetizing and Nutritious Meals
Proper nutrition is important, especially for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or any other type of dementia. This is because a poor diet can lead to more aggressive behavioral symptoms, leading to weight loss that can affect their physical and mental health. However, at the same time, Alzheimer’s patients want to enjoy appetizing meals just like anybody else. Moreover, eating can become much more complicated because of Alzheimer’s patients’ habit of developing new food preferences and aversions. Memory care communities hire professional chefs to craft a menu that fulfills residents’ dietary requirements, while ensuring that every meal is refreshingly unique and most importantly, delicious.
Dining with Compassionate Service
Memory care community caregivers don’t only provide service to their residents. Rather, one of the most important parts of memory care community teams they contribute to any resident with Alzheimer’s disease is companionship. Feelings of isolation and loneliness can aggravate an Alzheimer’s patient’s symptoms, which is why memory care can be so beneficial for improving their ability to cope with their limitations. Additionally, memory care communities’ dining halls usually include dedicated tableside service, always ensuring that residents can independently enjoy their meals with dignity.
