When you think of Alzheimer’s disease care, what’s the first thing you think of?
Whatever it was, we bet that nutrition wasn’t it. Having a healthy diet often comes as an afterthought to other types of care, especially for cognitive impairment.
While it isn’t considered “normal” during the aging process, many older people deal with some form of dementia – 6 million, to be exact. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this number is expected to double by 2060 due to the growing aging population.
As you might expect, long-term care communities like yours must prepare for these impending changes, even if you’re not feeling the impact just yet. Accommodating dietary needs and addressing challenges with eating will play a key role in supporting residents’ overall health.
More than just providing calories, food becomes an opportunity to spark comfort, connection, and even joy. For someone living with dementia, the dining experience can be a meaningful part of the day – a moment that stimulates memory, encourages social interaction, and provides a sense of routine.
In this blog, we’ll provide some of our top tips and dining strategies for making memorable meals for residents with dementia.
Make dining a personal experience
Step one? Customizing meals as much as possible. Individualized meal plans are essential to providing comprehensive dementia care because no two residents have the same needs, preferences, or histories. Person-centered dining involves creating liberalized diets, which take all of these things into account.
Compared to a therapeutic diet, which takes a more restrictive approach, liberalized diets allow registered dietitians and nutritionists (RDNs) and caregiving and kitchen staff to help residents with cognitive impairment pick and choose what fits into their palette.
Food often holds a deep personal meaning for people, and this is especially true for those with dementia. It helps to connect them to a part of their life that may be slipping away, building the connection they need to stay grounded.
Personalized meals also help increase food intake, addressing malnutrition – something often seen in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Some residents may need texture modifications, while others may respond best to familiar flavors that encourage appetite. Even small touches, like offering favorite condiments or plating food in a familiar way, can make a big difference in whether a resident engages with their meal.
Maintaining independence and dignity
Even as cognitive and physical abilities change, giving residents the opportunity to do as much as they can on their own builds confidence and preserves dignity. Supporting independence and self-feeding (when possible) during mealtimes is perhaps the most important part of dementia nutrition care, as it motivates residents to eat and reduces feelings of helplessness.
This may require adaptive strategies to promote empowered eating, such as offering finger foods, using adaptive utensils, or presenting meals in a way that is easier to handle. Staff can provide subtle assistance, like cutting food into manageable portions, without taking over completely. By fostering independence in these small but meaningful ways, caregivers send a powerful message: “You are still capable, and your choices matter.”
When residents feel empowered, they’re also likely to maintain a positive attitude and may lead to reduced behavior problems. This is a common symptom of dementia, which is often distressing for residents and caregivers alike.
It’s important to remember that independence looks different for everyone. For one resident, it may mean using a spoon unassisted; for another, it may mean choosing between two entrée options. No matter the approach, encouraging independence transforms meals into moments of dignity, control, and self-expression.
Create a sensory-friendly environment
For residents with dementia, the dining experience isn’t just about what’s on the plate — it’s also about the environment around them. Too much noise, clutter, or bright lighting can overwhelm the senses and create confusion, leading to anxiety or distraction during meals.
Here are a few tips to help you create a sensory-friendly, inclusive dining environment for residents with dementia:
- Start with basics like soft lighting and clearly defined dining spaces.
- Add as much color to a plate as you can without being overwhelming. This could be through coordinating the color of dishware and cutlery or adding different color vegetables
- Provide background noise but make it calming. Play soft, soothing music at a moderate volume so you aren’t taking away from the conversations residents are having at the table.
- Speak in a gentle, supportive tone, focusing on providing enough guidance for residents to feel comfortable and not inundated with information.
Share a meal with residents
Isolation is a feeling many older adults experience, even when living in a community setting. In fact, the University of Michigan Institute for Health and Innovation reports that a little more than a third of older people between the ages of 50 and 80 feel lonely and isolated.
Beyond physical benefits, mealtimes can provide social connection, routine, and comfort, which are essential for individuals coping with cognitive decline. Don’t be afraid to sit down with residents and share a meal. Not only does this build trust, but it also creates a sense of community and belonging.
Memorable meals start with a strong food service management partner
Whether you’re looking to create a more person-centered dining experience in your long-term care community or explore different staff training to build a more compassionate, dementia-friendly environment, we’re ready to sit at your table to help you figure out what your community needs.
For example, we can teach you about our Empower Finger Foods program, which is part of our efforts to make dining inclusive for residents of all needs.
Schedule a consultation with one of our sales team members today to start making memorable meals for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia today.
