The 6 subtle signs of dementia you can spot at the dinner table – from food icks to a sweet tooth

The Sun

5 days ago

FORGETTING where you left your keys, struggling to recall names and dates... memory issues tend to be the most common signs of dementia.
But evidence of the devastating brain disease can be found in other lesser-known areas of life - shifting a person's behaviour in subtle ways.
"A person's eating or drinking habits may change when they have dementia," Angelo Makri, senior knowledge officer for wellbeing at Alzheimer's Society, tells Sun Health.
"They could experience changes in how much food they eat and when and what food they prefer."
Your loved one might reach for foods you remember them disliking, or put together some unusual flavour combinations.
"It is not fully understood why people with dementia will change food preferences," Angelo says.
"We know that dementia affects the ability to smell, which in turn will affect the ability to taste, and this appears to be caused by damage to smell receptors.
Changes in behaviour
"The person may then want to eat foods with stronger flavours as they are more able to taste them than milder, more subtly flavoured foods."
Common symptoms of dementia - such as memory loss and difficulties with thinking and problem solving - can also change people's behaviour at the dinner table.
Some may lose interest in meals and want to eat less, while others may veer in the other direction - overeating because they've forgotten they've already eaten or because they seem concerned about when the next meal is coming.
These changes to food habits and preference can affect people at different stages of their diagnosis.
"In terms of when this might happen, it is very difficult to say as the symptoms of dementia can vary considerably from one person to another," Angelo explains.
The 14 science-backed ways to prevent dementia
"Some people will only start to experience these changes as their dementia progresses whereas others may experience changes in taste and smell months or years before they are diagnosed or before they notice any other symptoms."
But Angelo notes: "Changes in behaviour aren't always cause for concern, even though it can be upsetting to see your relative do things that are out of character. "
Here, we go through six signs of dementia you may notice in a loved one at dinnertime.
1. Sweet cravings
As dementia progresses, it can change people's tastes and food preferences, according to Angelo.
"They may start to enjoy flavours they never liked before, or dislike foods they always liked," he says.
"It's not unusual for the person to begin to want sweet foods more than they used to."
2. Forgetting vegetarianism
"Sometimes people with dementia make food choices that don't match their usual beliefs or preferences," Angelo goes on.
"For example, a person who has been a lifelong vegetarian may want to eat meat."
This can happen because:
Their preference has changed
They remember eating meat before becoming vegetarian
They've forgotten they don't eat meat
They see you or someone else eating meat and want the same, without knowing what it is.
This can also happen to people who've abstained from specific foods due to religion.
"For example, a person who doesn't eat pork, or only eats fish on certain days for religious reasons," Angelo says.
3. Mistaking objects for food
"As dementia progresses, a person may put things that aren't food into their mouth, such as napkins or soap," according to Angelo.
"There could be several reasons for this.
"For example, the person may no longer recognise the item, or they may be hungry and mistake the item for food."
2
4. Eating more than usual
Notice your loved one snacking lots more than they used to?
"A person's dementia mean that they forget they've already eaten," Angelo says.
"Sometimes we eat when we're bored or we need comfort," he points out.
"Was there a time in their earlier life when they worried about where their next meal was coming from?
"If so, this might make them feel they need to eat as much as possible while they can."
5. Mealtime confusion
You might notice your loved one gets confused about when mealtimes are.
This can happen if they've had recent changes to their routine or moved home.
"This might cause them to overeat, not eat enough as they are not hungry yet, or seek food more often than usual," Angelo says.
6. Struggling to eat
As dementia begins to erode at someone's memory and problem solving, the physical act of eating and drinking can become harder - meaning they mat eat less than they used to.
"A person with dementia may struggle to recognise the food and drink in front of them," Angelo explains.
"Or they may be unsure how to begin eating or using cutlery.
Early signs of dementia
It's not unusual for your memory to lapse a bit as you get older.
But dementia is different from 'just getting old' as it will cause noticeable - rather than gradual - changes to mental abilities and make managing everyday tasks and activities increasingly difficult.
The symptoms of dementia may be small to start with, but get worse over time.
Below are some examples of possible signs.
Memory loss
Memory loss is a key sign of dementia. This can include:
Forgetting something you were only recently told. You may ask for the same information repeatedly – for example, 'Are the doors locked?'
Putting objects in unusual places – for example, putting your house keys in the refrigerator.
Being unable to learn new tasks, like how to use a new washing machine.
Planning and decision making issues
People with dementia can have difficulty with planning and decision making. This can include:
Getting very confused when planning or thinking things through.
Struggling to stay focused on a single task.
Not making informed, careful decisions when dealing with money or looking at risks.
Finding it hard to manage regular payments, budgets or monthly bills.
Problems with language and understanding
In people with dementia, this can manifest as:
Having frequent problems finding the right word or regularly referring to objects as 'that thing'.
Finding it hard to take part in conversations.
Regularly being unable to follow what someone is saying even without distractions.
Losing sense of time and place
Dementia can cause problems with orientation, including:
Losing track of the date, season or the passage of time.
Getting lost in a place that is familiar or that should be easy to find your way around – for example, a supermarket.
Regularly being unable to follow what someone is saying even without distractions.
Problems with vision and perception
This can mean having problems making sense of what you see.
For example, having difficulty judging distances on stairs, or mistaking reflections or patterns for other objects.
Mood and behavioural changes
Finally, dementia can also make people act differently or shift their mood. This can mean:
Becoming withdrawn and losing interest in work, friends or hobbies.
Feeling unusually sad, anxious, frightened or low in confidence.
Getting easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places that usually feel comfortable or familiar.
Source: Alzheimer's Society
"Unfamiliar food or food that looks different to how it normally does can cause difficulties.
"Dementia can also cause problems with co-ordination. People with dementia may struggle to pick up or grip items, such as cutlery or a glass.
"They may also have trouble putting food into their mouth or they may not open their mouth to take in food and may need reminding to do so."
DINNER TWEAKS FOR DEMENTIA PATIENTS
If you notice your loved one is overeating as a side-effect of their dementia, it could be a good idea to switch out high calorie foods for lower calorie versions.
If the person is not eating enough, consider giving them some higher calorie foods - but check in with their GP first to make sure this won't negatively affect their health, Angelo notes.
"Speak to the GP before making any major changes to diet – there could be physical or medical reasons causing the changes," he explains.
"The GP can also check whether their health is being affected by changes in their eating habits.
"For example, whether they're putting on weight or their blood pressure or cholesterol is at an unhealthy level.
"It's important to look at whether your relative is drinking enough, as thirst can be mistaken for hunger.
"Not having enough water can also lead to headaches, increased confusion, urinary tract infections and constipation."
Other ways you could help include:
Using herbs and spices, sauces and chutneys to enhance the flavours of a meal.
Adding small amounts of syrup, jam or honey to puddings to increase sweetness.
Following along with what your loved one wants to eat, even if the food combinations seem unusual.
Substituting big meals for more frequent, smaller meals and healthy snacks throughout the day.
Switching to finger foods if the person is having trouble using cutlery.
Making sure everyone involved in the person's care is aware of their food preferences
Putting away non-food items which could be mistaken for food, and locking away any harmful substances like cleaning products.
Trying to minimise clutter on the table, for example, by seasoning meals in the kitchen, so that the salt and pepper shakers and spice containers are not on the table.
Using meal delivery services to make food preparation easier and make sure meals are nutritious.