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She will be happiest if you can take the foods you would normally enjoy and modify them. Obviously carrot sticks and steaks are no longer possible, but a grated carrot slaw or a tender meatloaf are still a possibility. If you want to go completely soft diet there are still countless options... quiche and custards, stews and soups, any well cooked vegetable, soft sandwiches like tuna, egg or chicken salad, pasta casseroles, almost any slow cooker recipes, hummus and refried beans... Then there are endless dessert possibilities, fruit crisps and puddings, cakes, my grandmother used to enjoy cookies dunked in her tea... I hope this gives you some ideas!
A food processor can be helpful. If your local stores don't sell them, you can get an inexpensive one on Amazon. I like to put lettuce in mine. The processor chops/grinds the lettuce into very fine pieces, almost a mush. Then I top it with my favorite dressing, which happens to be tahini (sesame butter).
I have been blending my husbands food for about 1 year now. I make a lot of soup, stew, as well as many other things that can be processed. Much easier on him and I have to worry less about pocketing. At the beginning I diced many things salads and most meals were chopped like you would chop for a toddler. But now it is all pureed. I am thickening liquids as well so almost anything that has a soft pudding like texture is how the meals are served. Although he will completely enjoy a piece of cake. Soft enough for him so that even if it does not get chewed completely it will go down. Get one of the little "bullet" type blenders and start by roughly chopping anything that you are having then progress to a full puree when needed. My husband has also lost teeth and is not compliant last dental visit and the only thing that could be done now is to pull the teeth and I do not want to put him through that ordeal particularly with anesthesia and it's side effects on people with dementia.
How about a juicer for being able to eat raw veggies to deliver the enzymes he can't get. Just do some reading first on limiting carrots, beets, and juicing too many fruits. But a small apple juiced with kale, or cabbage, or greens is tasty and also helps keep ya regular. I got a juicer from Amazon for about $50 and it works great. It's a Hamilton Beach. You can also find juicing combinations for all kinds of illnesses too so you can use food as medicine or food as pleasure too.
A food mill that cranks food through small holes would be a help. I have used one for apple sauce made with unpeeled apples. I've seen small ones advertised for processing baby food. Another possibility along the same lines is a Champion macerator. I was once served frozen bananas processed in one with cinnamon. It was delicious and much like ice cream.
The first thing that came to mind is spaghetti sauce with garden veggies. Oatmeal, cream of rice/wheat, cold cereal soaked with milk, in addition to the ideas suggested by others all give options for something solid & soft.
Jimmy, is your wife still at home? Do you have any home care prescribed by one of her physicians? If so, ask for speech therapist to examine her swallowing functions and determine if there's any aspiration.
It would be helpful to make this distinction, as opposed to difficulty swallowing because of the lost teeth. And given that Alzheimer's is involved, from what I've read there eventually can be swallowing dysfunction to the point of aspiration.
I think your first step is to get an evaluation to determine what level of dysphagia she has. There are different levels, with guidelines on food that's acceptable and that which is not.
I recently posted a similar question; the responses were suggestive, helpful and excellent. You might want to look at the posts of those who responded:
Don't be thrown off by the question of a supplier; there are still issues discussed by those who posted which address home food preparation as well.
FYI, with the help of a very competent and dedicated speech therapist, she provided clarification that there was no aspiration, a critical factor for anyone with swallowing difficulties. The issue now is focused more on what's chewable and what's not easily chewable.
Just another thought - one of the reasons it's important to involve a speech therapist and determine the level of swallowing difficulty is the close distinction between some types of acceptable foods. E.g., and unfortunately, the healthier unbleached flour breads with various seeds, and those lucious thick artisan breads with varied toppings, can be harder to eat than the bland white bread which is thinner and (in my opinion) less healthy and tasty.
Good luck on your quest to adapt to this new phase of aging.
There are a lot of reasons to switch to a soft diet, my understanding was the Jimmy's wife was having trouble due to loss of teeth, not swallowing problems. Of course with Alzheimer's that too is likely to creep in as a problem.
To give an update... I just made a large pot of Roasted Cauliflower Soup. Thickened more with cauliflower and potatoes so I can avoid using a lot of the "Thick It". Added a bit of a flour and milk at the end along with some cheese to thicken and boost the protein. Put through the blender I would be happy to pay for this soup in a restaurant! Just need to make a loaf of bread for myself!
My husband who had difficulties to eat and swallow, was prescribed high protein sip feed with fibre -Apricot-Peach, Chocolate, etc...- ("Fresubin"). Which he found very nice and helped him.
yes, you can blend everything!!! i use to take my mother's whole lunch and blend it with warm almond milk...heat it up, and it was delicious...like creamed soup! now my mother can't chew...last stage of dementia. the only thing she was to drink now is blended fruit drinks....lots of various fruits, peanut butter, yogurt and protein powder with almond milk!!! sooooooo delicious and healthy!! i fill up the blender and use this throughout the day to save some time. my mother always drinks this stuff....and loves it and very healthy!! good luck!!
I know this one couple with whom I'm friends. The gentleman had jaw surgery and could only eat through a syringe because he is jaw had to be wired shut for a number of weeks. His wife is a kitchen genius and head to make everything in a blender for him. Whatever was served in solid form was liquefied in a blender for him. He was able to successfully live on this kind of thing as well as still use other liquid forms of nutrition. I actually got to taste some of the stuff that was made in the blender, and I think it actually had more flavor than the solid food! In fact, this kind of stuff made in the blender is what I would use as gravy for mashed potatoes since this kind of gravy is more nutritious. It's really not hard to blend together whatever you're serving everyone else in the solid form, it's just whatever everyone else is having in solid form, but when you serve the person needing solid food, you just put their serving of food in the blender. Sometimes my friend would use some kind of broth to balance out the liquid. If you're a genius in the kitchen, you'll be able to know what to use in the blender to still give the person a very healthy meal but in liquid form. It would be a good idea to research blender recipes for starters to give you some additional ideas.
oh, i just want to add....that my mother has gone days without eating a glass of whatever i've pureed...and each time i cried and said this is it...she's dying now!!! and emotional rollercoaster...cause even after a 5 day period...she came back and started drinking her meals again!!
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
I make a lot of soup, stew, as well as many other things that can be processed.
Much easier on him and I have to worry less about pocketing.
At the beginning I diced many things salads and most meals were chopped like you would chop for a toddler. But now it is all pureed.
I am thickening liquids as well so almost anything that has a soft pudding like texture is how the meals are served. Although he will completely enjoy a piece of cake. Soft enough for him so that even if it does not get chewed completely it will go down.
Get one of the little "bullet" type blenders and start by roughly chopping anything that you are having then progress to a full puree when needed.
My husband has also lost teeth and is not compliant last dental visit and the only thing that could be done now is to pull the teeth and I do not want to put him through that ordeal particularly with anesthesia and it's side effects on people with dementia.
Thanks for more ideas, everyone!
It would be helpful to make this distinction, as opposed to difficulty swallowing because of the lost teeth. And given that Alzheimer's is involved, from what I've read there eventually can be swallowing dysfunction to the point of aspiration.
I think your first step is to get an evaluation to determine what level of dysphagia she has. There are different levels, with guidelines on food that's acceptable and that which is not.
I recently posted a similar question; the responses were suggestive, helpful and excellent. You might want to look at the posts of those who responded:
https://www.agingcare.com/questions/Does-anyone-have-experience-with-sourcing-food-for-a-mechanical-soft-diet-I-need-some-help-urgently-203290.htm
Don't be thrown off by the question of a supplier; there are still issues discussed by those who posted which address home food preparation as well.
FYI, with the help of a very competent and dedicated speech therapist, she provided clarification that there was no aspiration, a critical factor for anyone with swallowing difficulties. The issue now is focused more on what's chewable and what's not easily chewable.
Good luck on your quest to adapt to this new phase of aging.
I just made a large pot of Roasted Cauliflower Soup.
Thickened more with cauliflower and potatoes so I can avoid using a lot of the "Thick It". Added a bit of a flour and milk at the end along with some cheese to thicken and boost the protein. Put through the blender I would be happy to pay for this soup in a restaurant! Just need to make a loaf of bread for myself!
Which he found very nice and helped him.
I thank you all.
I pray for all caregivers watching over our spouses.
JimmyW