WASHINGTON, D.C.: Here are three ways innovators are adding flair to senior living settings with simple and sleek solutions that can also improve resident wellness:
2. Swell Meals With Eatwell
Senior living providers are increasingly offering more sophisticated cuisine in ambitious dining programs to cater to a generation that prefers more options, but residents with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, may have issues when it comes to feeding themselves. As a result, some residents may not be getting all the nutrients they need because they are unable to recognize food or have physical limitations that make eating a challenge. Caregivers and family members may find it frustrating to get through a meal.
One innovative designer was a caregiver to her grandmother with Alzheimer’s disease when she had the idea to create a tableware set designed specifically for those with dementia and other physical impairments that can cause difficulty with eating.
“It’s very easy for the family members or caregivers of a person with dementia to get frustrated or feel helpless when that person loses interest or refuses to eat, and their health deteriorates or condition worsens from a lack of nutrition,” she said.
The result of her desire to help her grandmother is the Eatwell set, an assistive tableware set with over 20 specific features that simplify eating motions, prevent spills and increase food intake for users.