The importance of diet

The more I read and about and experience the effects of various diets on people with dementia, the more it seems to me that every person with dementia (every person, come to that) really needs a diet to be arrived at, by knowledge of them and by experimentation, that meets their particular needs. Their particular dietary regime then needs to be followed consistently. In certain cases, where someone has dementia involving, for example faecal incontinence, or has an additional diagnosed disease, the consequences of not getting the right diet are potentially serious.

What are the chances of the diet being consistently observed in any Care Home or hospital?

Another reason, if you are caring for a family member, for looking after them at home for as long as you possible can.

Sweet Tooth

I was telling a professional, when my wife was not eating much, that she tended to prefer sweet things. 'Ah yes, they develop a sweet tooth'. Me: 'No. She's always had a sweet tooth'. 'Ah yes, it's very common. They develop a sweet tooth.'!!!!! 

However, some people with dementia do seem to develop a sweet tooth. But I have recently learnt that, as people get older, the taste buds begin to disappear (along with many other things!) and, with far fewer taste buds, people tend to favour foods that make the strongest impact, e.g. sweet things. People with dementia are predominantly elderly.......

So mostly it's not to do with having dementia, it's to do with ageing. I definitely know that my sense of taste has deteriorated, and I probably like sweet things more. I am quite old but I don't have dementia.

Another example. Plates of a certain colour are allegedly easier for people with dementia to see the food on. But, guess what? There's no agreement about which is the best colour  -  yellow, blue, red  -  because everybody's different. And the issue could be to do with deterioration in the eyesight (i.e. the actual eyes becoming less efficient) or with problems relating to the link between the eyes and the brain (which are a feature of some types of dementia). So when someone says 'Yellow plates are best for them', they might be right about some of them but, even for those some, the problem could be to do with ageing rather than with the dementia.

There are so many examples of this attempt to portray 'people with dementia' as almost a different species. They are, of course, just people.....who happen to have dementia.

Could this be the answer?

This suggestion may help some people. In the long run. Unfortunately, George Monbiot who wrote the article says he has had the greatest difficulty understanding some of the research so I reckon most of us will have to take it on trust for the time being.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/10/alzheimers-junk-food-catastrophic-effect

My worry would be that, whilst the suggested cause could well be applicable in some cases, or at least be a contributory factor, one can see how all people with dementia might be branded as consumers of junk food. Blaming the victim is all too common in matters of health, particularly where the media are concerned.