If your senior parent has been diagnosed with dementia, they are going to experience a lot of changes as the dementia progresses. Your senior parent may start to act in ways that seem strange or out of character to you because of the way the changes in their brain are affecting them.
Dementia can change the way that the brain processes information, which means that your senior parent may not know what time it is, or when it’s day instead of night. And they also may experience changes in their appetite.
If you notice that your senior parent is not eating or drinking enough, you need to take action right away. Seniors who don’t get enough calories or nutrients can get very sick. It’s a good idea to get dementia home care for your senior parent.
Dementia home care is care designed to meet the specific needs of seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s. The care providers who provide dementia home care have the training and experience to make sure that seniors with dementia are safe and comfortable at home.
Dementia home care providers also know how to recognize when your senior parent needs to eat or drink, even when they can’t recognize it. There are physical cues that care providers look for to know when seniors with dementia are hungry or thirsty.
Seniors who have dementia may not recognize when they are hungry or thirsty because of the way that dementia affects their brains. Dementia can cause seniors to have appetite changes, such as:
Forgetting to Eat
A senior with dementia may not remember the last time they ate or may lose track of daily routines. This can lead to skipped meals, unintentional weight loss, and a lack of important nutrients. Sometimes, seniors may even deny being hungry because they don’t recognize the feeling.
Dementia home care providers can help your senior parent eat regularly by setting regular mealtimes, reminding them to eat, and sharing meals with them.
Changes in Food Preferences
Dementia can change the brain’s ability to process taste and smell. Foods that once tasted good may suddenly seem bland or unappealing. On the other hand, some seniors may strongly prefer certain foods, lovely ones.
A person who never cared for desserts before may always ask for candy, cookies, or soda. These changes can make meal planning difficult, but offering a mix of healthy options, like fruit or yogurt, can help balance new cravings with nutrition.
Difficulty Recognizing Food
As dementia progresses, seniors may struggle to recognize foods or understand what to do with them. For example, they may stare at a plate of food without starting to eat, not realizing it is a meal.
Sometimes, they confuse food with something that isn’t edible, which can be unsafe. This change happens because dementia affects the part of the brain that processes recognition and understanding. Caregivers can help by serving familiar foods, cutting meals into simple portions, and staying nearby to guide the process.
Eating Too Much or Too Little
Dementia can also affect appetite control. Some seniors may eat very little, not feeling hungry or forgetting to eat altogether. Others may overeat, take extra portions, or ask for food shortly after a meal. This may be due to memory loss (forgetting they just ate) or changes in the brain that regulate hunger.
Both overeating and undereating can cause health problems, so dementia home care providers often need to monitor food intake closely to keep it balanced.
Problems with Chewing and Swallowing
As dementia advances, some seniors may have trouble chewing or swallowing food. This condition is called dysphagia. It can make mealtimes stressful and increase the risk of choking.
A senior may avoid eating because they feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Dementia home care providers can help by offering softer foods, thickened drinks, or smaller bites. Creating a calm, quiet space for meals can also reduce anxiety and make eating easier.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Dementia Home Care in Apache Junction, AZ, please contact the caring staff at Legacy Home Care today. Call (480) 777-0070
Legacy Home Care is a top provider of home care services in Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Sun Lakes, Chandler, Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Phoenix, and surrounding areas.
Legacy Home Care has been serving the valley since 2007. We are family owned and operated with over 75 caregivers. We offer a customized care plan that includes services such as: Hourly Senior Home Care, 24-Hour Home Care, Dementia Care, Personal Care and Companion Care. Also ask us about our Veterans' Home Care program.
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