Making Mealtime Easier: Benefits of Specialized Tableware
Author: Alz Cottages
When you have a family member with dementia, sometimes meal time can turn from a peaceful moment of the day into a problem that causes undue stress for both you and your loved one. However, tableware specifically designed to help those with Alzheimer’s and dementia can help ease some of the stress and make mealtime enjoyable again.
Advantages of assisted tableware for seniors with dementia include:
- Colors: Research has found that people with dementia eat 24% more food, and drink 84% more liquid, when dishes are served in brightcolors.When something is brightly colored your eyes are drawn to it, and in the case of dementia patients they will be able to separate the food from the plate it is on and see how much they have left to eat. This makes them eat more, and more importantly, they want to eat more, which will improve their overall health.
- Shape: Specialized tableware sets are either a type of bowl or curved somehow, allowing for fewer spills and easier pick up of food items. Because the sides of the bowl are designed to help pick up the food easily and from several different angles, this can make meal time easier.
- Different types of sets for different food: The brightly colored sets help those living with dementia distinguish what type of food they are eating (with different colors for solid and liquid foods), helping their brains determine that it is time to eat by associating the colors with the feeling of hunger.
Assisted tableware is often spill-proof and makes it easier to eat without assistance, allowing caregivers to enjoy a meal while also helping their loved one to remain independent, boosting their self-worth, and turning dinner back into anenjoyable activity.