The Larger Role Of Nutrition For Seniors With Alzheimer’s

Food and nutrition play a major role in determining how well or not someone with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia live their life. Good nutrition helps everyone stay well, but is even more critical for individuals with Alzheimer’s, which sometimes can be challenging for them. Decline in cognitive functioning takes a drastic toll on eating habits of those dealing with dementia. This is where family members’ participation can help in making sure their loved one is eating well/getting proper nutrition.

When it comes to the health of Alzheimer’s patients, the role of good nutrition cannot be overstated. It can help ease some symptoms and help with overall health, and most importantly, counter the effects of poor nutrition, such as weakness, increased agitation, rapid weight loss, dehydration, and lowered immunity.

Here are some tips on nutrition for patients of Alzheimer’s:

1. Incorporating a variety of foods in a diet, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, lean meats, fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna), milk, cheese, yogurt, is important to healthy eating.
2. Balance food with exercise to keep weight in a healthy range.
3. Steer clear of fried foods due to their high saturated fat and cholesterol content.
4. Reduce salt and sugar.
5. A bulk of your diet should comprise foods like beans, berries, spinach, and dark chocolate since they have antioxidants in abundance.
6. Lastly, drink plenty of water to maintain good hydration.

There’s no denying of how much challenging mealtimes can be for people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, this is where memory care facilities can help. At Anthem Senior Sanctuary in Phoenix, AZ, our caregivers have every trick up their sleeve for mealtimes to go smoothly so that dementia residents maintain a quality of life for as long as possible via good nutrition.

Contact us at 602.909.9550 to book a suite today!