Everyday meal preparation for people with dementia - oral presentation and poster

When people are diagnosed with dementia everyday activities like meal preparation will gradually become more difficult. A recipe is a support for meal preparation but as dementia develops, it seems that following a recipe can be a challenge. In Denmark health professionals often use meal preparation as an activity for people with dementia but they have no combined material to base the planning of the activity on.
The thesis of this project is that when persons with dementia is involved in cooking his or her own meal meal preparation it will contribute to the feeling of content and meaning in everyday life. Furthermore getting the appropriate and nutritious food will be a step in the right direction regarding prevention of malnutrition.
The aim of this project is to develop a guide to increase the possibility for people with dementia to continue everyday life through participating in meal preparation. The guide includes ideas for constructing recipes, methods for planning and guiding the process and examples of utensils that can increase the ability to cook in the persons own home or in an institutionalized setting. This supports the person with dementia both nutritionally, cognitively and intends to make the activity a meaningful and successful experience.
The project is conducted as dialogical action research, meaning that the guide is developed by and for those people with dementia and professionals that are the aim of the project. Action research assists the participants in improving and/or refining their actions as they are the experts in their own life. Therefore, we have cooperated with people with dementia and professionals in several public settings in Jutland, Denmark, during the development and during tests of the guide.
The guide can be used in professional settings and inspire relatives to use meal preparation as a shared activity.