To encourage adequate nutritional intake for a female client with Alzheimer’s disease, the nurse should:
A. Stay with the client and encourage him to eat.
B. Help the client fill out his menu.
C. Give the client privacy during meals.
D. Fill out the menu for the client.
Correct Answer: A. Stay with the client and encourage him to eat.
Staying with the client and encouraging him to feed himself will ensure adequate food intake. A client with Alzheimer’s disease can forget how to eat. Offer sweet and salt substitutes. Helps satisfy desire for these tastes as taste buds decrease with aging without compromising diet. Allow for interaction during mealtime to promote interest in eating.
Option B: During the middle stages of Alzheimer’s, distractions, too many choices, and changes in perception, taste, and smell can make eating more difficult. Be flexible with food preferences. It is possible the person may suddenly develop certain food preferences or reject foods he or she may have liked in the past.
Option C: Eat together. Give the person the opportunity to eat with others. Keeping mealtimes social can encourage the person to eat. Limit distractions. Serve meals in quiet surroundings, away from the television and other distractions.
Option D: Offer one food item at a time. The person may be unable to decide among the foods on his or her plate. Serve only one or two items at a time. For example, serve mashed potatoes followed by the main entree.
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