Tips To Manage Chewing And Swallowing Difficulties For People With Dementia

Our mouths get drier as we grow older, and our sense of taste and smell also tends to change with age, which can partly be attributed to problems related to teeth as we age, which makes it difficult to eat or drink. These issues can also be part of Alzheimer’s disease. People with dementia may experience difficulties with chewing or swallowing as their illness progresses. Swallowing and chewing problems tend to surface in the later stages of dementia, and the individual may become reluctant to eat if they are in pain or scared that they will choke on the food they are given. If you are caring for someone with swallowing problems (a condition known as dysphagia), it’s important to remember just how powerful nutrition is in enriching their quality of life. If neglected or overlooked, the condition can lead to a range of complications, including weight loss and malnutrition, choking and aspiration pneumonia, which is a severe chest infection.

Here’s how you can help overcome some of the most common difficulties around chewing and swallowing, and make mealtimes less stressful for both yourself and your beloved:

Environment– Meals should be eaten at a familiar dining environment at regular times every day. Serve food that the person enjoys. Cut down on the noise by switching off TV, radio with no gadgets around. Soothing music can also be relaxing in the background.

Meal Preparation– The best way to attract someone towards eating is by making the food visually appealing- vibrant in color and separated on the plate so that textures and flavours are easily distinguishable. Encourage self-feeding by cutting up and preparing food that can easily be picked up with fingers. You need to be patient, give them adequate time to eat while minimizing any distractions. Remind them about what to eat and why. Discuss food, aromas and the cooking process in the run-up to the meal to pique their interest. Remind them to swallow with each mouthful they take. They should eat one thing at a time, and encourage small bites of food.

Modifying Diet– If problems with eating and drinking worsen, it’s time for you to modify diet, in terms of changing the texture of food so that they’re soft, minced or pureed. It is advisable that you consult with a speech pathologist for their recommendation on softer food or thicker fluids.

Your loved one might as well require feeding assistance, make sure to feed the person slowly, place food in the middle of their tongue and allow them enough time to swallow each bite before offering the next. The best way to ensure they’ve swallowed is by observing their “Adam’s apple.”

Talk to their doctor if your loved one experiences pain when they swallow, cough or drool when they eat, are sleepy at meals, takes longer than 30 minutes to eat or leave meals uneaten, food or liquids come out their nose when they try to swallow, have teary eyes or a runny nose when they swallow, say food gets stuck or not going the right way (this can lead to serious complications), suddenly starts coughing or there’s a change in their voice (like hoarseness). It is also important to call their doctor if they don’t drink enough liquid to meet their needs.

The best ways to ensure comfort and safety when they eat is by offering them food when they’re most awake and well-rested, they should sit as upright as possible, keep mealtime as peaceful as possible, stay close to your loved one as they eat, after every bite offer them a sip of drink, make sure their mouth is empty before they take another bite, cut food into small pieces, steer clear of sticky foods like peanut butter, take them to the dentist at regular intervals.

Senior Sanctuary of Anthem is an award-winning Anthem assisted living facility in Phoenix, AZ that features a staff that has been carefully selected and trained. We take pride in our food services, which is not just about providing nutrition, but also about the social aspect of eating together and making the food enjoyable.