4. Create a comfortable and safe environment. Eliminate any odors or excessive noise that might interfere with a good meal and proper digestion. Even sudden movements can be a distraction. A safe and stable environment is necessary to creating a healthy mealtime.

5. Be careful in evaluating food quality. Remember that you are dealing with a person who has become accustomed to certain tastes and preferences when it comes to eating time. As much as possible try and keep the patient’s likes and dislikes in mind when preparing a meal. Make sure the food is appealing in smell, appearance and moderate temperature.

6. Use a warm, easier style when giving instructions. Make sure the instructions are clearly stated. To-the-point commands like “Pick up your fork. Put some food on it. Now raise it to your mouth,” work fine and can even be repeated if necessary.

7. Patience is needed. Be careful not to criticize the person’s eating habits or rush him to finish his meal. The patient should look forward to eating time and see it as an enjoyable activity free from stress.

8. Avoid foods that would cause indigestion or difficulty in swallowing. A protection against this would be cutting or grinding some foods into bite sized pieces. Some food like popcorn, nuts or raw carrots may get lodged into a person’s throat and are best avoided. With some types of food it might be a good idea to explain to the patient that he should chew slowly and swallow carefully.

9. An Alzheimer’s patient may forget that he or she has eaten or have no concept of how much is too much. It is best for the caretaker to serve healthy portions and restrict further portions when appropriate. If a patient continues to ask for additional meals after eating time, it might be a good idea to start separating breakfast, lunch and dinner respectively, into several smaller courses. In fact, planning for several small meals in the day is a healthier choice than serving three large meals.

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