Sensational ideas for those with dementia and other nursing home residents(Part 5)

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

USA Today

Taste
Lucky us: The brain recognizes five different taste sensations -- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory -- all located on the 10,000 taste buds scattered on the back, front, and sides of the tongue, and on the palate. Women naturally have a more-developed sense of taste than men (on so many levels). As we age, though, our taste buds experience wear and tear. "We also produce less saliva, which makes it difficult for the brain to recognize taste," Doty says. Fortunately taste cells regenerate about every 10 days. And you can help.
Get intense. Try tasting flavors such as horseradish and dark chocolate, which have more intensely irritant components to them. They may stimulate your taste receptors more quickly. The bitter taste of dark chocolate provides a more powerful flavor burst than white chocolate, and it's healthier for you, too.
Mix it up. Variety is the spice of life. Add curry, rosemary, or cinnamon to your dishes. Taste-test an assortment of apples. Or try combining flavors. In a salad with fruit and nuts, you'll sense sweet, salty, and bitter. If you add a dressing that's got a little kick, you can also get a bit of savory.
Slow down. Chew slowly to enjoy taste. Eating leisurely gives the molecules in any food greater exposure to your olfactory nerves, which increases the intensity and pleasure. And keep your mouth moist, too: Saliva gets those molecules to your taste buds. A stick of gum or a bottle of water will get the juices flowing.
Lighten up. What you consider sweet or salty enough is not hardwired. If you drench your French fries with salt or add 2 heaping tablespoons of sugar to your espresso, cut back. With patience, you can savor the taste of food without overdoing it.

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