Nutrition for the Elderly and those
living with Dementia

This is one of the hardest things about caring for someone with dementia. Food that was once enjoyed gets refused. Familiar meals feel wrong. The person you love sits at the table and will not eat — and you do not know why.

The important thing to understand is that this is almost never about stubbornness or awkwardness. Dementia changes how the brain processes food — taste, smell, texture and even the ability to recognise food can all be affected. What looks like refusal is often confusion, discomfort or sensory overload.

Some things that genuinely help:

• Serve smaller portions on a plate with good colour contrast — white food on a white plate is very hard to see
• Reduce noise and distractions at mealtimes — TV off, calm environment
• Offer familiar, well-loved foods from earlier in their life — taste memory is often preserved even when other memory is not
• Try finger foods if cutlery has become difficult — sandwiches, soft vegetable pieces, cheese cubes
• Eat together when you can — seeing someone else eat encourages eating
• Do not rush — mealtimes may take much longer than they used to

If eating difficulties are becoming a serious concern, speak to the GP who can refer to a dietitian or speech and language therapist.

Wise About Food CIC offers support and training for carers and families around nutrition and dementia. Get in touch to find out more.

This is incredibly common — and more serious than many families realise. When someone loses a partner who did most of the cooking, they can quickly stop eating regular meals. Not because they are not hungry, but because cooking for one feels pointless, unfamiliar or simply too much effort when you are grieving.

Signs to watch for:

• Weight loss or clothes that are looser than they used to be
• A fridge or cupboard with very little food in it
• Eating the same one or two things every day
• Skipping meals entirely, especially when tired or low
• Increased confusion or fatigue, which can be signs of poor nutrition

Some practical starting points:

• Cook a batch of simple meals together and freeze them in portions he can heat easily
• Stock the cupboard with easy, nutritious staples — tinned fish, beans, eggs, oats
• If he is open to it, a community cooking group can be transformative — not just for the food, but for the company and the sense of purpose

Cooking groups for older men are one of the most powerful things we run. Men who have never cooked, or who have lost confidence since bereavement, often discover something they love — and find connection with others in the same situation.

If you would like to explore a cooking group for your dad or for a group of men in a similar situation, get in touch. Sarah can come to you.

This is exactly the kind of project Wise About Food CIC was built for.

Here is how it works: you say yes, and Sarah does everything else.

Sarah brings the knowledge, the session plans, the recipes, the equipment and the ingredients. She designs sessions specifically for your group — practical, fun, no experience needed, no judgement. The focus is not just on the food. It is on connection, confidence and the simple joy of making something and sharing it with other people.

Sessions can cover things like:

•    Simple meals that take 20 minutes and cost very little

•    How to cook batch meals and use the freezer

•    Eating well when you are cooking for one

•    Foods that support brain health and energy in later life

•    Adapting meals for someone with dementia or swallowing difficulties

You do not need money to get started. There is funding available for exactly this kind of community wellbeing project — and Sarah can help you access it. She will ask you a few simple questions and handle the application. All you need to do is provide the people and the space.

"Food is the appetiser. What we are really about is helping people realise what they are capable of." Get in touch at sarah@wiseaboutfood.co.uk 

While no food can prevent or reverse dementia, research consistently shows that diet plays an important role in brain health — both in reducing risk and in supporting quality of life for those living with the condition.

Foods that support brain health:

• Oily fish — salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring — rich in omega-3 fatty acids which support brain function
• Leafy green vegetables — spinach, kale, broccoli — linked to slower cognitive decline
• Berries — particularly blueberries and strawberries — high in antioxidants
• Wholegrains — oats, wholemeal bread, brown rice — provide steady energy for the brain
• Nuts and seeds — especially walnuts — support brain health
• Olive oil — a key part of the Mediterranean diet which has the strongest evidence base for brain health
• Plenty of water — dehydration significantly affects cognition and mood in older people

Equally important is avoiding or limiting ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks and excess salt, which are associated with increased cardiovascular risk — a risk factor for dementia.

The good news is that brain-healthy food is also heart-healthy, gut-healthy and budget-friendly. It is not a specialist diet. It is just good food, eaten regularly and enjoyably.

Want a practical guide to brain-healthy eating for older people? Get in touch and we will point you in the right direction.

Mealtimes in care settings are one of the most important parts of the day for residents — not just for nutrition, but for dignity, pleasure, identity and connection. Getting them right matters enormously.

Common challenges we hear from care home managers:

• Residents not eating enough and losing weight
• Staff who are not confident supporting residents with eating difficulties
• Mealtimes that feel rushed or institutional rather than calm and enjoyable
• Finger food provision that is limited or uninspiring
• Families who are worried and not sure what to tell them

Wise About Food CIC offers staff training and support for care settings around nutrition and dementia including:

• Training sessions on dementia and eating — what is happening and why
• Practical guidance on the mealtime environment, finger foods, texture modification and responsive feeding
• Communication support for talking to families about nutrition concerns
• Menu review and nutritional audit support

As with everything we do, Sarah brings the knowledge and the resources. You provide the team and the time.

Get in touch to discuss what your setting needs. Email sarah@wiseaboutfood.co.uk  or call 07706 576 260.

First — what you are doing is incredibly hard and you deserve support too.

Caring for someone with dementia at home is relentless. Mealtimes can be one of the most stressful parts of the day. And carers often stop looking after their own nutrition in the process — eating on the go, skipping meals, surviving on whatever is quick.

Your nutrition matters too. A carer who is running on empty cannot look after anyone else properly. That is not a judgement — it is just true.

Some things that might help:

• Batch cooking when you have a good hour — soups, stews, pasta sauces that can be frozen and reheated
• Keeping easy, nutritious staples in the house that require no cooking — yoghurt, fruit, cheese, oatcakes, nuts
• Connecting with a carers group where food and shared meals are part of the offer

Wise About Food CIC works with carers groups and support organisations to provide nutrition sessions and practical cooking support for carers. If your organisation supports carers and would like to offer something around food and nutrition, get in touch.

Wise About Food CIC is run by Sarah Scotland BSc Nutrition, Exercise and Health (Hons), a community nutritionist based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

Sarah has worked with older people, carers, community groups and care settings to make good nutrition accessible and enjoyable for everyone. She is warm, practical, completely jargon-free and DBS checked. She works in person across Hertfordshire and online UK-wide.

Wise About Food is a community interest company. Every penny goes back into the work. We are not here to make a profit — we are here to help people.

"Food is the appetiser. What we are really about is helping people realise what they are capable of."