Sponsored by ® Integrated Care. Better Outcomes.


Helping a resident with declining mental status to eat and drink safely is a common concern in memory care settings. In the later stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia, the ability to swallow becomes compro- mised, and residents are at risk for food and liquids to get into the airway and lungs. Following newly set forth guidelines from International Dysphagia Dietary Standards Initiative (IDDSI) can limit this risk.


Nutrition software that can incorporate both the spe- cific preferences of the resident and the consistency needed to keep them safe will be required to meet these IDDSI guidelines. Wootton explains that “the time has passed when down-graded consistency is a blanket recommendation for ALL foods. Instead, each food item should be considered, tested, and assigned the proper consistency that is safest for


each resident.” An enhanced technology solution such as MealTracker can easily manage this infor- mation across one or more communities. As a result, residents will experience more natural intake which often results in improved nutrition.


Maintaining independence in dining


While a proper diet and food consistencies help maintain overall nutrition, individuals with dementia will see cognitive declines that impact the basic abil- ity to feed oneself. They may begin not recognizing utensils or certain foods. Also, it is not uncommon for dementia residents to experience a decrease in appetite and in their ability to feed oneself. Wootton stresses the importance of helping memory care residents maintain their dignity as long as possible


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