Eating and drinking

If you are experiencing difficulty with eating and drinking, there are some things you can do that may help, for example:

• Ensure that the dining area is set up correctly. Your dining chair should be supportive and allow you to sit in a comfortable and upright position, as this will help maintain a good posture for eating and drinking.
• A regular routine with familiar placement of items such as napkin, salt, pepper and drink may help if you have memory problems. Eating a meal in quiet surroundings with minimal distraction may also help.
• If you have trouble cutting food, a casserole may be more appropriate than a whole steak for instance. Thicker sauces and soups are less likely to be spilled.
• There are specially designed cutlery or crockery available that can help if you have difficulty using standard items.  For example, using plates or bowls with high sides or a plate guard can help prevent food being spilled, cups and mugs with lids will help prevent drink spills.
• There are cups or mugs with foam handles and large handles available, which allow you to use your whole hand to grip the handle, or put your whole hand through the handle to grip the cup or mug.

If you find you are having difficulty swallowing food or drink, you should contact your doctor.

Equipment

There may be equipment available to assist with a variety of tasks such as eating and drinking, preparing food or shopping. For more information visit the Daily living equipment section of this website. 

Or you can visit the AskSARA website where you can find useful advice and products that make daily living easier.

You may also need to consider adapting your home, go to the Adapting your home section of this website for more details.