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Hands slicing tomatoes on a worn wooden board beside lemons, herbs and a bowl of white beans

Kitchen · 20 min

Make mealtimes easier for someone you care for

Smaller plates, colours that stand out, food they can pick up, and time. A few changes that can help someone eat more comfortably.

20 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps
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When someone you care for loses their appetite, finds cutlery hard or forgets to eat, mealtimes can become a worry for both of you. Small changes to how food is offered can make eating easier and more pleasant, while leaving them as much in charge as possible.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Offer smaller portions on a plain plate in a colour that contrasts with the food, so it is easier to see. A full plate can be off-putting; seconds are always possible.

  2. Include food that can be eaten by hand: sandwiches cut small, cheese cubes, soft fruit, vegetable sticks if they are soft enough.

  3. Sit and eat with them, at the same time, without hurrying. Keep the room quiet, with the radio or television off.

  4. Notice what they enjoy and when they eat best, and write it down. Many people eat more at one time of day; put the bigger meal there.

The reason

Why it helps

Appetite, eyesight, grip, swallowing and memory can all change with age and illness, and each can make a normal meal harder. Adjusting the plate and the setting can make it easier to eat well without taking choice away. Eating together is also one of the most natural ways people keep each other company.

A gentle variation

If they are eating very little, offer small snacks and drinks often through the day rather than three meals. If they prefer to eat alone, set things up and come back, so they keep their privacy.

Neighbours setting a long table in a green garden

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Ask them what they would like and let them do as much as they can for themselves, even if it is slower or messier. If others help with meals, share your notes on what works.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

At the next meal you share, offer a smaller portion on a plain contrasting plate, add one finger food, and sit and eat with them.

Add it to your day

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