Chavez, Maria
NUTR 510
Lesson Plan
Alzheimer’s: Making Mealtimes Easier
Goal: To educate family members, caregivers, and older population on Alzheimer’s disease on
how to make mealtimes easier.
Behavioral Objectives:
By the end of the class, participants will be able to:
1. Understand what causes eating problems with Alzheimer’s patients
2. Take steps to ensure good nutrition for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
Teaching Aids:
1. PowerPoint
2. Video
3. Possibly utensils to show in class
Handouts:
1. Alzheimer’s Caregivers: What You Should Know and Do
INTRODUCTION:
Good Morning! My name is___. Today’s session is called “Alzheimer’s: Making Mealtimes
Easier”
****Questions to ask in the main content of presentation:
Do any of you have a relative or someone close to you that have Alzheimer’s disease?
Why should we even care about Alzheimer’s? show video!!
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_and_figures.asp ***** 1:45 seconds
Food, eating, and mealtimes are important parts of life. Many of our favorite experiences and
memories involves food and eating such as preparing and sharing holiday dinners with family
members, celebrating birthdays and other life events with special meals, and getting together
with friends for lunch or dinner.
When a person has Alzheimer’s disease the ability to prepare meals and eat independently may
be reduce, and mealtimes can become challenging for both the individual and the caregiver. The
person with Alzheimer's may be experiencing changes, such as decreased appetite, that are part
of normal aging. These changes can lead to malnourishment, increasing the risk of infections,
poor wound healing, abnormally low blood pressure, and other problems.
Therefore it is very important to make mealtimes easier for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
and their caregivers to prevent malnutrition.
MAIN CONTENT:
Slide #2
Today’s “Alzheimer’s: Making Mealtimes Easier” class will be talking about what causes eating
problems and how to optimize good nutrition on Alzheimer’s disease patients.
Slide #3
Let’s talk first on what causes eating problems. Today we will be talking only 3 causes of eating
problems for Alzheimer’s patients.
•
First cause is dentures. It is very important to check for denture position since fitting
dentures can make eating painful. If your loved one wears dentures, make sure they fit
properly. Regularly check your loved one's mouth for sores or other oral or dental issues.
•
Second cause is medications. Medications can affect appetite. Many medications
decrease appetite, including some drugs used to treat Alzheimer's. If you think
medications are contributing to your loved one's eating problems, ask your loved one's
doctor about substitutions.
•
Third cause is chronic diseases. Chronic conditions can affect appetite. Diabetes, heart
disease, digestive problems and depression can dampen your loved one's interest in
eating. Constipation can have the same effect. Treating these or other underlying
conditions might improve your loved one's appetite.
Slide #4
There seven steps to ensure good nutrition..Read the steps
Let’s talk about these steeps more in detail
Slide #5
The first step is to acknowledge the individual’s declining skills and senses
As Alzheimer's progresses, your loved one might simply forget to eat or lose the skills needed to
prepare proper meals. Also, your loved one might forget table manners and eat from others'
plates or out of serving bowls. Changes in your loved one's brain might cause him or her to lose
impulse control and judgment and, in turn, eat anything in sight — including items not intended
as food. During the later stages of the disease, difficulty swallowing is common. In addition, the
individual’s ability to smell and taste might decrease. If these happen, the individual might be
less likely to eat.
Slide #6
Expect agitation and distraction during mealtimes
Agitation and other signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's can make it difficult for your loved one
to sit still long enough to eat a meal. Distractions at mealtime might make this even worse.
To reduce distractions:
•
Turn off the television, radio and telephone and cell phone ringer.
•
You might also clear the table of any unnecessary items such as center pieces and plastic
fruits for decorations.
Slide #7
The third simple step is: get visual during mealtime
It can be hard for your love one to tell apart the food from the plate or the plate from the table.
Therefore you can help by using solid colors such as white plates or bowls with a contrasting
color placemat. Avoid patterned dishes, tablecloths and placemats since they can be very
confusing.
Slide #8
The fourth simple step is: try large –handle utensils.
Pass utensils, if any!
A good advice is to use spoons since they might be easier to handle than forks. The larger the
spoon's handle, the better. Try bendable straws or lidded cups for liquids. Sometimes bowls are
easier to use than are plates.
Also, they are specialized utensils that individuals with Alzheimer’s can use such as the ones
used in the picture.
Slide #9
The fifth step: Offer foods one at a time
If the individual is overwhelm with having several types of food in his/her plate, then place just
one type of food at a time on the plate. You could also offer several small meals throughout the
day, rather than three larger ones.
Cut food into bite-sized portions for better swallowing and digestion.
Finger foods are even easier — but avoid foods that can be tough to chew and swallow, such as
nuts, popcorn and raw carrots.
Slide #10
Another simple step is: take your time
Don't rush your loved one to eat quickly. Remind your loved one to chew and swallow carefully,
and allow him or her as much time as necessary. It might take up to an hour or more to finish a
meal. Be patient!
Also, you can encourage your loved one to follow your actions, such as holding a fork or
drinking from a cup — or gently place your hand over your loved one's hand to hold a utensil
and bring food to his or her mouth.
Slide #11
The last step is: Sneak in extra nutrition
If you're having a hard time getting your loved one to eat enough, prepare his/hers favorite foods.
You might also offer high calorie snacks such as protein milkshakes. It is very important to
consult the doctor if your loved one loses weight suddenly.
Ensuring good nutrition in Alzheimer's can be a challenge, but it's worth it. Good nutrition can
help your loved one better deal with physically and emotionally challenges of Alzheimer's.
Slide #12
Review
Thank you for attending today, I hope that the information that was shared about what causes
eating problems, and Simple steps to take to ensure good nutrition was helpful!
From the things that we talked about today- who would like to share…
What stood out to you the most?
What do you plan to practice at home?
Thank you for sharing that is a great thing to remember and to do!
Independent practice
Next time you go to visit your love one or someone you know that has Alzheimer’s, implement
one of the simple steps to ensure good nutrition.
Pass handout!
To help you remember a little bit more about Alzheimer’s, this is a handout that I want you to
take home to read. This handout have a recipe that I hope you can use for your love one. Thanks.
CONCLUSION:
With an increase in the aging population, diseases like Alzheimer’s are on the rise in the United
States. Therefore, it is important to educate family members, caregivers, and the population in
general about Alzheimer’s disease. Especially it is important for family members and caregivers
to understand what causes eating problems and how to ensure good nutrition with this
population.