unit 49 health and social care
Unit 49 – Understand and Meet the Nutritional Requirements of Individuals with Dementia
1.1
People with dementia are no different from people without; like most people they will retain their usual eating habits, tastes and preferences of a lifetime. However, dementia can greatly affect a person’s relationship with food and eating. As dementia progresses eating and drinking can become difficult for some people. Eating and drinking involve the co-ordination of complex physical and mental activities. These activities are often affected by the progressive impairment of memory, thinking, planning, perception, organisation, communication and skilled movement that are associated with dementia. Consequently, eating and drinking may also be affected by environmental issues, lack of person-centred care planning, physical problems, such as pain or swallowing difficulties, poor concentration, food refusal and side effects of medication.
Some people with dementia forget that they have eaten and end up eaten twice as much as they should.
1.2
Poor nutrition worsens the symptoms of dementia like restlessness, agitation, aggression and challenging behaviours. It can also increase the risk of dementia patient needing to be hospitalised due to lack of fluid intake leading to urine infection, low immune system; Constipation can also contribute to a patient's decreased appetite and reluctance to eat. However they may not be able to communicate these problems to you due to their cognitive impairment.
1.3
An individual with dementia may become depressed. This can cause a decrease in appetite and lack of interest in food. Dementia can also cause a person to forget that they haven’t eaten or vice versa. Visual reminders i.e. snacks placed around the home may prompt them to eat.
Another issue that may arise is a person with dementia that also has diabetes. The individual may forget that they have this condition and continue to eat high sugar foods as they would have many
1.1
People with dementia are no different from people without; like most people they will retain their usual eating habits, tastes and preferences of a lifetime. However, dementia can greatly affect a person’s relationship with food and eating. As dementia progresses eating and drinking can become difficult for some people. Eating and drinking involve the co-ordination of complex physical and mental activities. These activities are often affected by the progressive impairment of memory, thinking, planning, perception, organisation, communication and skilled movement that are associated with dementia. Consequently, eating and drinking may also be affected by environmental issues, lack of person-centred care planning, physical problems, such as pain or swallowing difficulties, poor concentration, food refusal and side effects of medication.
Some people with dementia forget that they have eaten and end up eaten twice as much as they should.
1.2
Poor nutrition worsens the symptoms of dementia like restlessness, agitation, aggression and challenging behaviours. It can also increase the risk of dementia patient needing to be hospitalised due to lack of fluid intake leading to urine infection, low immune system; Constipation can also contribute to a patient's decreased appetite and reluctance to eat. However they may not be able to communicate these problems to you due to their cognitive impairment.
1.3
An individual with dementia may become depressed. This can cause a decrease in appetite and lack of interest in food. Dementia can also cause a person to forget that they haven’t eaten or vice versa. Visual reminders i.e. snacks placed around the home may prompt them to eat.
Another issue that may arise is a person with dementia that also has diabetes. The individual may forget that they have this condition and continue to eat high sugar foods as they would have many