At Safe Haven Dementia Centre, we pride ourselves on offering our clients quality home-cooked food which is freshly prepared on the premises.
Eating can often be a major concern for someone who is caring for a person with dementia. The person’s appetite can completely change, and the foods they once liked they simply no longer enjoy, which can then often lead to weight loss.
At Safe Haven, we do everything we can to help and encourage our clients to eat well. Lunchtime at the centre is an activity in itself, and we pay special attention to the social aspect of eating together by trying to re-create the image of family and friends sitting around the table chatting and enjoying each other’s company. Setting the scene is imperative, so the tables are always immaculately laid with fresh flowers as the centre piece and background music to add to the atmosphere.
Clients can opt for the full three courses if they wish, and carers, friends and family are also very welcome to join us for lunch, but must let us know in advance to do so.
We pay special attention to our ingredients and, to make sure that all of our meals are nutritional, we add the really good foods to lots of our one-pot cooking dishes, and some of these taste bud ticklers include Italian bean and vegetable casserole, macaroni cheese, shepherd’s pie, savoury mince, fish pie, jacket potatoes with numerous fillings and a wide variety of wholesome soups. But we can’t be good all the time, and our lovely Maria has become known for knocking up the odd tasty home-made cake – shhh, keep that quiet, though!
The dietary needs of our clients is discussed at the assessment stage, so we are fully aware of any allergies or special instructions to follow, such as soft food requirements and the use of eating aids, including special cutlery and cups and clothes protectors to name a few.
The best way to maintain a balanced diet is to include foods that are especially good for building a healthy immunity and general wellbeing. Eating plenty of the darker fruits, like blueberries and blackberries, and darker green vegetables, such as curly kale, cabbage, broccoli and spinach, are all a marvellous source of Vitamin C and Iron. These are ideal for cell growth, which helps the body’s healing responses and, during the colder months when coughs and colds are aplenty, provide a much-needed Vitamin C boost.
Protein is ideal for muscle tone depletion among the frail that may have Osteoporosis, which can result in feeling the cold more. Having regular protein portions – meat, eggs, milk and nuts for example – can help build muscle, and gentle exercise, even if it’s in a chair, can warm up the body nicely. Also, oily fish is a good source of Vitamin D, which helps with bone repair and skin infections.
Vitamin B, which is essential for healthy brain function and a responsive nervous system, can be found in cereals, brown bread and vegetables, so a regular intake of these is a must.
For more information about our food at Safe Haven, please call 01494 854 399 or email us at: enquiries@safehavendementiacentre.co.uk
