The Alzheimer's Family by Robert B. Santulli

Author:Robert B. Santulli
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Eating

Is the person with Alzheimer's preparing food and eating it? Only people whose disease is still quite mild are able to shop for groceries, prepare, and consume healthful and well-balanced meals on their own, without assistance. At the least, family members may need to be involved in obtaining groceries, particularly if the individual is no longer driving (see below). If the afflicted person is buying his or her own food, it is a good idea to check what is being purchased. Is it mainly snack foods or sweets, or reasonably nutritious foods? Individuals who are still driving and shopping for groceries independently will often strongly resist assistance in this task, but it may be necessary to insist, for health reasons. For someone with Alzheimer's disease who is preparing meals, foods should be simple, precooked, and requiring only simple microwave reheating. Stove use should be strongly discouraged because of the risks of fire if an inappropriate item is placed on a burner or if an item is forgotten on the stove over a hot burner. Meals on Wheels is a good choice in many communities. These are generally prepared at the local senior center and delivered on a daily basis, in time to be consumed as the noon meal. They are simple, but offer balanced nutrition and are inexpensive. Usually a volunteer will deliver the meal each day, ringing the doorbell and handing it directly to the person who answers. This offers another safeguard: if no one answers the door, someone in the family can be notified.

As an alternative or addition to Meals on Wheels, members of the Alzheimer's family may prepare meals in advance which are then frozen and placed in the afflicted person's freezer. It is a good idea for the family member to check that these are actually being consumed. It is not uncommon that the person with Alzheimer's disease will forget the meal is there or will find the task of reheating it in the microwave overwhelming. It is also a good idea for a family member to regularly check the refrigerator for foods or beverages (such as milk) that may have become spoiled. People with Alzheimer's disease may easily forget something that is in the refrigerator, letting it spoil. But they may also eat spoiled food without realizing it, so someone needs to check and dispose of food that may be unsafe.

People with Alzheimer's disease often report that they have little appetite. This may, in part, have to do with the fact that the senses of taste and smell are frequently quite diminished or absent in persons with Alzheimer's, so food does not have the appeal it once did. Also, because people with Alzheimer's tend to be inactive, they burn fewer calories. Often the best way to determine if the afflicted person who lives alone is eating adequately, aside from noting what food is consumed, is to simply monitor the individual's weight. While it is normal to lose a few pounds over a year, if weight

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