The Memory Unit OT

Sometimes getting residents on the memory unit to actually eat something feels like a true uphill battle. With the disease progression comes a change in appetite, food preference, and overall interest in eating. Not to mention changes in chewing, eating, and swallowing which then result in changes in the textures and types of foods offered. So how do we combat this and help our residents get the nutrition they need?

Try to offer foods within a community setting as much as possible.

Your residents have been eating group meals their entire lives, just like you have. Eating in a community space with others feels natural and normal, and can lead to a better understanding of the overall task.

Don’t take the food away just because they say ‘no’.

Your residents may experience hunger without fully realizing that that’s what they’re feeling in their bodies. This can cause agitation and frustration for them. So choose some foods that are safe to be left out a room temperature for a bit, and set up a plate in the resident’s most comfortable or preferred room or space in the facility/home. Then just wait. Allow them time to approach the food in their own timing and in their own way.

Don’t over-complicate the foods you offer.

Provide finger foods as much as possible. Keep the presentation of the food simple and free of excess items like too many sides or unnecessary silverware. Pre-cut the food into manageable pieces and remove the uneatable things (like fruit peels). Keep the portion sizes small and non-threatening.

As with all dementia care, there is no magic formula or perfect intervention strategy.

It takes a lot of trial and error, and often times ongoing changes to techniques as the disease progresses. Collaborate with the care plan team, learn from the nutritionists and speech therapists, and know that you have the clinical skills to critically analyze the task and provide the best treatments possible for your residents.