If you’re a family member of a loved one with dementia, you know how difficult it can be to watch them lose interest in eating. The condition affects how their brains interact with their bodies and leads to some very real physical symptoms–including loss of appetite. While you must keep your loved one’s nutritional needs met, finding ways to encourage them to eat again can be equally important (and more fun!). That’s where dining services can help! Dining services help ensure that residents receive the nutrition they need while also promoting socialization and independence-allowing them to eat on their schedules rather than being forced into a group setting where they may not fit in or feel comfortable.
Provide Personalized Service
The staff at a dining service in Loxahatchee, FL memory care facilities is trained to provide individualized service, and they can be more helpful to residents with dementia. By providing personalized dining experiences, you can help reduce mealtime stress for your loved one and other residents.
People who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia often have trouble processing information about their surroundings. As such, the kitchen functions may go over their heads—or even cause them confusion or anxiety as they try to figure out how things work. When meals are automated, it’s easy for someone with dementia to feel like they don’t know how to get food when hungry or even which meal is being served at any given time (and thus feel anxious about whether they should eat). When multiple family members come into the home for visits, this problem becomes even larger because there might be more than one person offering assistance during mealtime.
Dining services that offer personalized service can help alleviate many of these issues by making sure that each resident receives their plate of food; however, what makes them most effective is when they do so while also taking into consideration any special dietary needs that may exist (such as religious restrictions).
Restaurant-Style Dining Room
Dining rooms that resemble restaurants are a great option for those looking to encourage their loved ones to eat more. This can be done by creating a dining room with tables, chairs, and decorations that make them feel like they are in a restaurant. A table setting should be provided with silverware, napkins, and glasses placed at each place setting. If your loved one is not accustomed to eating in this environment, it may help if you sit with them while they eat so they know what is expected of them when dining alone later.
This setup encourages social interaction between residents and other caregivers who work within the building (such as nurses). Your loved one will feel more comfortable having meals with others since they won’t have any additional pressure from family members or friends watching over their every move while trying new foods or ordering something different than usual from the menu.
Dining Assistance
Dining assistance is a great way to help your loved one eat more. It can be provided by a professional or by a family member. If you provide dining assistance, it’s typically best to do so in your loved one’s room instead of at the dining tables with other residents and staff. This will allow you to focus on helping them eat their meal without distraction.
Conclusion
Memory Care communities are designed to be more than just a place for aging adults to live. They’re also designed to help people with dementia maintain their independence and quality of life. Dining services are an important part of this process because they provide meals that meet the nutritional needs of your loved one—a complicated task for someone with memory loss!
