As Alzheimer’s progresses, simple, day-to-day functions become increasingly difficult and mealtimes could present significant challenges for your loved one. They may experience a loss of appetite or interest in food or could forget that they have already eaten. If you notice that your loved one is having difficulty maintaining a healthy, regular diet, there are several things you can do to encourage independence and make mealtimes easier.

Begin by setting up a regular mealtime and sticking to it so that your loved one always knows when he or she will be eating. They will be less likely to overeat or forget that they’re supposed to be eating if they’re used to a schedule. You man need to begin preparing each meal for your loved one as it may be unsafe for them to use a stove or dangerous kitchen utensils. Limit distractions during mealtimes and keep the table settings simple so that your loved one can focus on their food and eating rather than the television, a table setting or the telephone.

Driving requires good judgment, quick reaction times and split-second decision making, all qualities that are affected by Alzheimer’s. Families often struggle with the decision to limit or stop the driving of a loved one suffering from the illness, but the reality is that, for a person with Alzheimer’s, driving becomes difficult and unsafe.

Though an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is not reason enough to provoke a loved ones driving privileges, there are several warning signs that they may be unfit and unsafe to take to the roads alone. If they’re forgetting how to get to familiar places, such as a family members home or store that they’ve been shopping at for years, it’s possible that they could begin driving aimlessly and wandering through town. Allowing a loved one to drive in this confused state could leave them lost and in a bad situation they may not be able to get themselves out of.