Eating Well with Dementia

At the beginning of last year, as part of our rolling review programme, we reviewed and updated the popular resource ‘Eating Well with Dementia – A Guide for Carers’. This has been a valued part of our range for over 10 years and demonstrates successful partnership working with NHS Lanarkshire and Alzheimer Scotland.

At the end of 2012, NDR-UK was aware of Scottish Government policy priorities and local delivery plans around dementia. Recognising that there was a need for information for the public on the importance of diet and nutrition in the care of people with dementia, NDR-UK contacted the Scottish Government seeking support to meet these needs. With their backing, we started a project to develop a national nutrition and diet resource to meet the needs within dementia care and support the strategy. 

We learned about a locally developed leaflet by Dietitian Gillian McMillan – this was already well used throughout NHS Lanarkshire and people from other services recognised how valuable it could be to have something similar. We approached Gillian, and together with Elaine Hunter from Alzheimer Scotland, we worked together to turn one of NHS Lanarkshire’s in-house leaflets – used within the service to support carers of people with moderate to advanced dementia to support eating and drinking for nourishment and well-being – into a printed resource for wider publication and distribution. This ensured that health professionals and services throughout Scotland and the UK could access and use this valuable resource, supporting shared expertise and avoiding duplication of effort.

The need for this guidance was further highlighted and supported by the Scottish Government, who continue to provide funding so that this resource can be accessed free of charge in Scotland.

Fast forward to 2018, NDR-UK launched a new electronic delivery service, NDR Prescribe, and Eating Well with Dementia – A Guide for Carers was added to the Prescribe library, allowing it to be personalised and sent to patients by email.

Throughout our 10 years working together, the resource has undergone multiple reviews, and in 2023, we worked with professional graphic designers on a welcomed redesign, helping to modernise its look and ensure it remains engaging to the reader.

This was also a good opportunity to explore further resource needs from early dementia diagnosis to end of life. In response to identified needs and requests for new health information, we are delighted to be working with specialist dietitians from across the UK to develop two new resources to help fulfil the gaps in nutrition-related guidance. These aim to support:

• People with suspected or diagnosed early-stage dementia to eat well and live well, and to be aware of signs and symptoms requiring further support.
• Friends/family/carers of people with advanced dementia and those receiving end-of-life care to provide nutrition and hydration to help maintain quality of life, optimise well-being and food enjoyment.

It’s been encouraging to see that interest in this topic is high, with many dietitians and health professionals registering their interest in project updates. Drafts are currently out for peer review, and we welcome comments and feedback from health professionals to inform changes by 12/03/24. Further details and drafts can be found at: https://www.ndr-uk.org/about-resources/in-development-and-review/early-stage-and-advanced-dementia

NDR-UK are pleased to be able to respond to health challenges and resource needs, and collaborate with health professionals to support people with dementia and their family/carers.

For anyone who’d like to order printed copies (packs of 10) of Eating Well with Dementia – A Guide for Carers, or send the resource electronically via NDR Prescribe, head to www.ndr-uk.org. Remember to register and log-in to see special offers in your area – it is currently free of charge in Scotland.

Contributor

Written by Jenni Henderson, Development Officer at Nutrition and Diet Resources UK (NDR-UK). NDR-UK delivers high-quality resources to empower clinicians and healthcare services to: educate patients; enable self-management; and improve health and well-being.