Getting the Food in…and Getting it Out

Abstract

Eating and elimination are part of the same continuum—and Alzheimer’s disease impacts the entire continuum. In this chapter, we first address the issue of getting enough food into the person and how Alzheimer’s disease impacts appetite. This is a major concern for both family members and paid caregivers. They worry whether the person in their care is taking in enough calories and losing weight or is taking in too many calories and gaining weight, both of which may negatively impact their health. Perhaps the person under care is a diabetic or has any number of chronic diseases where dietary management is essential. Looking at where the person is on the functional assessment stagingtool (FAST) scale, puts these issues into perspective.