Helping Someone Eat and Drink Well at Home
Eating and drinking well can become more difficult for all sorts of reasons.
Preparing food or getting to the shops may have become harder. Appetite can change following an illness or hospital stay. A person living with dementia may forget whether they have eaten, lose interest in food or simply need a little more encouragement.
Care workers can help with meals and drinks, but the support isn’t just about putting food on a plate. We get to know what the person likes, what they are able to do and what makes eating and drinking easier for them.
Help with meals, shopping and preparing food
The amount of help needed differs from person to person. A care worker might make breakfast, a sandwich or salad, heat a ready meal or cook something simple such as scrambled eggs. Where the client is able and wants to be involved, we can prepare the meal together or simply help with the parts they find difficult, allowing a little more time so they can continue with a familiar everyday activity.
Food can also be prepared for later. A morning or evening visit might include preparing lunch or snacks for a client who can eat independently but finds the preparation difficult, or preparing vegetables so the client can cook them with their evening meal.
We can help with shopping too, either by going together or making sure there is suitable food in the house.
Small details can matter – cheese grated rather than sliced, mustard added, crusts removed, or a sandwich cut into rectangles rather than triangles. Preferences can be included in the care plan so the wider team knows them. The client doesn’t have to explain each time, and the meal can be prepared in a way they actually enjoy.
Keeping hydrated
Drinking enough is just as important as eating well, and it’s easily overlooked, particularly for someone who doesn’t feel very thirsty or finds drinks awkward to handle.
We get to know each person’s favourite drinks and exactly how they like them. That might be a strong builder’s tea, a milky coffee, squash rather than plain water, or water kept chilled in the fridge.
Before leaving, a care worker can make sure a drink is within easy reach, with a jug of fresh water ready for the time between visits.
Small practical changes can make a real difference. A cup filled only halfway may be easier to lift, and a bottle with a long straw can help someone who struggles to pick up a cup. Our care workers can suggest simple aids like these, and they can be added to the shopping list.
When someone isn't eating or drinking enough
Families are sometimes worried that someone isn’t eating or drinking enough. Simply asking whether they have eaten may not tell us very much. Care workers can see what is actually happening – perhaps meals are being left uneaten, food in the fridge is not being used, appetite has changed or the person appears to have lost weight.
Sometimes encouragement makes a difference: offering a favourite food, sitting with the person while they eat, or making a drink and staying for a chat. For one person living with dementia, a care worker taking their own lunch and eating alongside the client worked well because eating alone was part of the difficulty. Rather than repeatedly putting down a meal that is not being eaten, we can try a different approach.
Helping someone eat and drink
Sometimes a person needs more help to eat or drink, or food needs to be prepared or presented differently. Finger foods may be easier for someone to pick up, and small things can help too, such as using a favourite plate, bowl or cup, or specialist cutlery with wider handles.
If someone can eat independently once everything is set up, we can make sure food and drinks are within reach and give them the time they need. Where physical assistance with eating is required, our care workers can help.
Some people have difficulty chewing or swallowing. A Speech and Language Therapist may provide guidance about the consistency of food and drinks, for example making food moist or easier to swallow. We follow that guidance in the care plan, including adding prescribed thickener to drinks where required.
If things change
A person’s eating and drinking can change, and because our care workers visit regularly, they may be the first to notice. Where concerns have been identified, we can record food and fluid intake if this has been agreed and may be asked to record the person’s weight.
Concerns are shared with the office team so they can be followed up rather than simply left in the notes. Depending on what is happening, this may involve the client, family, GP or another health professional. Sometimes the answer is a change to the care Abbey Care provides. At other times, professional advice or assessment may be needed.
Talk to us about help with meals and drinks
If you're concerned about someone shopping for food, preparing meals, eating or drinking, give us a call.
The help needed might be quite small – preparing lunch for later, helping with shopping or doing part of the preparation so the person can continue cooking for themselves – or someone may need more support.
Tell us about any dietary or swallowing needs, including guidance from a dietitian, Speech and Language Therapist or another health professional.
We can talk through what is happening and, if you would like to explore care further, arrange a free, no-obligation assessment.