There are many studies by researchers regarding the relationship of people with dementia to food and how they perceive it. They all converge that eating does not solely have a biological function, but represents an incredibly relevant experience. Clearly explaining firsthand the various aspects revolving around food and the action of eating was Wendy Mitchell, who in her book "What I Wish People Knew About Dementia" describes how the disease has changed her relationship with food.
"You can tell me a secret and I will always keep it because I simply won't remember it. But one thing I never forget is that food meant a lot more to me than it does now," is how Mitchell introduces the topic of food in his first-person account of how he experiences dementia.
Different meanings of food
Within any culture, food takes on a very important significance as it becomes the bearer of culinary traditions developed and handed down over time that are closely connected with the territory, its flavors and its community. In other words, food, in addition to being linked to sensory pleasure, plays a very important role on a social level-just think that mealtime is also a way of marking time-and on an affective level. In fact, very often our memories associate flavors, recipes and foods with certain childhood memories and moments of conviviality.
Mitchell describes this aspect like this, "These days I even have to set alarm clocks on my iPad to remind me to eat-the hunger-sensing part of my brain stopped working a long time ago. Yet, when you no longer feel pleasure from food, you realize it is so much more. It's the way we show love as parents, it's the way we bond with friends, it's an excuse for saying the wrong thing, it's a welcome to the neighborhood."
He adds, "Even when I was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's in 2014 at the age of 58, I used food in a way to sweeten the bitter moments that followed."
Dementia changes not only eating habits but also cooking habits
When you have dementia, not only your eating habits change, but also your cooking habits because cooking becomes a big problem. As the disease progresses, it is increasingly difficult to remember even the simplest things, such as making a cup of tea. Mitchell also chronicles this aspect by showing how cooking goes from being an act of love for self and others to a time of frustration, anger and helplessness and those places of colors, scents and creativity become mazes, confusion and chaos. Losing the ability to cook can be experienced as real grief.
In this case, only the love of our loved ones can really help us regain a positive sense of food preparation. Mitchell recounts, "My son-in-law, Stuart, now cooks for me, only two or three times a week, so I don't feel intrusive. But his are the only freshly prepared meals." There remains the gesture of love that is now received instead of given, but still represents a positively perceived moment of relationship. Thus, the moment of the meal can continue to bring pleasure on the relational level, despite the fact that the perceptual and sensory one is diminished.
Eating out can also become very difficult. Mitchell herself acknowledges this: "Eating out used to be a luxury, but now it's very stressful," and then adds, "In restaurants, I choose the first thing I recognize that will be easy to eat. Never meat, because it requires the right coordination to cut into small manageable pieces, and that left me a long time ago. The simple task of cutting food requires serious concentration. Even chewing is not as easy as it used to be."
Understanding what the real capabilities of people with dementia are also becomes essential in proposing food and contexts in which to consume it. It is important to come to terms with the new rhythms and habits of the person with dementia, who cannot control his or her behavior and memory.
How to make people with dementia experience food better
What can be done to make people with dementia experience food as best as possible is to consider as many aspects as possible and be attentive to each other without underestimating anything, in the hope that even mealtimes will be experienced as pleasant and worthwhile at all times. This can often translate into making the act of eating or drinking easier to allow to the extent possible a certain amount of autonomy. Thus, choosing meals that they are able to consume on their own or presenting the dish in such a way that they can consume it independently.
"We don't know for sure what causes dementia and we don't know what to eat or drink to prevent it. All I know is that every day is a challenge, a chess game to play with this disease in my head and one that I am determined to win for as long as possible." Wendy Mitchell.
