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1- Describe how cognitive functional and emotional changes associated with dementia can affect eating drinking and nutrition:Cognitive: if cognitive ability is impaired a patient could forget to eat, or think they aren’t being fed at all as well as forgetting to drink etc, they may also leave cookers or other hot things on as they have forgotten they have put them on,Functional: They may not be able to feed themselves properly or be able to drink. They may not be able to hold or lift cutlery properly.Emotional: They may be too distressed to eat or drink may also forget that they need to eat or drink.1.
2- Explain how poor nutrition can contribute to an individual’s experience of dementia: Poor nutrition habits can be a behavioral health issue, because nutrition and diet affect how you feel, look, think and act. A bad diet results in lower core strength, slower problem solving ability and muscle response time, and less alertness. Poor nutrition creates many other negative health effects as well. So it can lead to even more confusion and forgetfulness leading to even more illness and distress1.
3- Outline how other health and emotional conditions may affect the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia: Depression can lead to loss of appetite and lack of interest in food. Social isolation can also be a big factor for loss of appetite Forgetfulness Illness and medications can result in reduced appetite and difficulties with shopping, preparing and eating food.Malabsorption conditions (i.e.
gastritis & pernicious anaemia) reduce ability to absorb B12 from food.Problems with incontinence may stop individuals eating and drinking normally. Some medication can contribute to constipation and again this may stop people eating and drinking not realising this can make it worse.1.
4- Explain the importance of recognising and meeting an individual’s personal and cultural preferences for food and drink:This will help people to enjoy food and drink if its things they like and enjoy eating. Food can also help with a person’s memory and give them a feeling of belonging. It also helps them to keep interested in foods and drink. It also helps them to feel a part of their culture and again can help with memories from the past.1.
5 - Explain why it is important to include a variety of food and drink in the diet of an individual with dementia: It’s important for people to have a good well balanced diet to enable them to get the right nutrition’s they need to stay fit and healthy. It’s also important a person with dementia sees a nutritionist so they get the correct and balanced diet.Understand the effect that that mealtime environments can have on an individual with dementia2.1 - Describe how mealtime cultures and environments can be a barrier to meeting the nutritional needs of an individual with dementia: The person may not be hungry at the set times, not like the food or be able to feed themselves alone and not have the help to feed them or be rushed to finished. They may not like crowded areas or have the equipment they need to feed themselves.
2.2 - Describe how mealtime environments and food presentation can be designed to help an individual to eat and drink: A calming and relaxing environment is needed and foods they like and enjoy as well as the help and support to enable them to eat and at a rate that is ideal for them. If crowds aren’t to their liking then maybe feeding them in their rooms and to times that suit them.2.3 - Describe how a person centred approach can support an individual with dementia at different levels of ability to eat and drink: Looking at their life book/care plan will enable the carer to make additional plans to the dietary needs of the client, i.e.
if they like fish on a Friday as part of their religion. It will also help with their memories and over all well-being. As above we do assessments on each client to assess their needs and if equipment is needed we supply them with the things they need i.e large handled knives and forks, sip cups and plates with lips around the edge, we also assess if people need help with feeding if this is the case a worker is assigned to that client in the morning and the client isn’t rushed when eating, to avoid choking but also to give them dignity at all times.Be able to support an individual with dementia to enjoy good nutrition3.1 - Demonstrate how the knowledge of life history of an individual with dementia has been used to provide a diet that meets his/her preferences: One of our clients on arrival was very under-weight and malnourished due to forgetfulness and confusion from the dementia.
We did a life book and care plan with herself and the aid of her family members. We then assessed her and found she needed help with feeding due to tremors and a lack of swallowing and she had also lost interest in food, but with some reminiscing therapy, we got her interested in food again, we started with very small plan meals building on this over time, the client is now a healthy weight and looks forward to meal times and is now trying new things like spaghetti bolognaise.3.2 - Demonstrate how meal times for an individual with dementia are planned to support his/her ability to eat and drink:In our company we help plan meals around the client’s needs, i.e we have a number of clients who do not like crowds so we do meals in their own rooms surrounded by their home comforts, they have a number of choices on what meals they would like to eat and we have a number of specialist equipment that can be used if needs be.3.4 - Demonstrate how a person centred approach to meeting nutritional requirements has improved the well-being of an individual with dementia:As stated in 3.1 we had a client who was very under-weight and not really enjoying her food at all in fact was very disinterested in food, but with a lot of time and some reminiscing therapy she has now gained weight, so she feels much better has her clothing is fitting her better and she is also enjoying trying new food from all over the world where before she wouldn’t so it’s also increased her confidence in trying new foods and drinks.
