Parkinson’s Disease: Addressing Mealtime Challenges

Mealtime is an integral part of any individual’s daily routine. Additionally, mealtime allows for the intake of dietary nutrients coming from various food sources. Every meal, one has the opportunity to satisfy hunger through healthy and delicious meals.

In old age, though, mealtime, along with other daily tasks, become increasingly more difficult, especially for those with Parkinson’s disease. Many families opt to engage Home Care Services in Broward County, Florida to assist aging individuals with the completion of these daily tasks.

Focusing on mealtime, various challenges can be present. Check out what these challenges are and how you can address each of them.

• Challenge 1: Medical-related issuesBoth patients and caregivers may find mealtimes challenging due to medical-related issues. One of these issues is dry mouth. This condition makes the food less tasty. Lack of moisture inside the mouth may also make chewing and swallowing difficult, leading to a choking risk.

  Oftentimes, dry mouth happens as a side effect of taking certain medications. To address this issue, you might want to talk to your loved one’s doctor first about ways to minimize the condition. You should also always prepare a glass of water or any other soothing beverage right beside your loved one’s plate. Other tips also include adding sauces to cooked meats or going with soups and broths.

  A provider of Home Health Care in Florida can assist you or your loved ones with planning, preparing and serving foods. Consider engaging their services.

• Challenge 2: Confusions and distractionsIndividuals with Parkinson’s disease suffer from a decline in their cognitive functions. As such, they are easily prone to confusions and distractions. They may get confused with the different things on the table or get distracted by different things around the house.

  You can address these challenges through the following:

  • Opt for a simple table setting
  • Avoid serving too many food choices on the table
  • Turn off the TV or radio when your loved ones are eating
  • Let them eat in a quiet environment
• Challenge 3: FeedingYour loved ones with Parkinson’s disease have lesser control of their motor functions. Eating by themselves can be hard. Chewing and swallowing can be massive tasks for them.

  Help them eat by serving small, bite-sized foods they can easily chew and swallow. You can also ask to be their hands when they eat. It is also important to stay patient as feeding patients with Parkinson’s disease will surely take time.

TLC Nursing Registry will be happy to care for you and your loved ones at home. We offer a wide selection of In-home care services. Call us today!