
As mama's dementia progressed, I noticed that her depth perception was deteriorating. Significantly. This impacted her ability to see and interact with her food. Caring from afar meant I had to write out a care plan that reminded carers what needed to be done. This was a challenge in itself.
The porcelain plates we usually used presented a challenge.
Light-colored food on light-colored plates became almost invisible to her, causing food to fall off the plate without her realising it.
One of my (many) biggest fears was broken plates and cups (especially glasses). I then switched to using bright-colored dementia-friendly plates, bowls, and silverware.
Solid colours without patterns were best for mama. Apparently "solid colours are easier for the brain to process and particularly important for individuals with dementia who may have difficulty with complex visual information."
They were unbreakable and I made sure we all ate from the same style plates. Mama would have noticed if we had different plates.
There are lots of sellers out there but this gives you an idea of what to look for.
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Plates, bowls and cups
These are available in the 3 colours - Yellow, Blue and Red.
I purchased the bowls and dining plates in yellow.
The cups in blue. These will not break and are very sturdy.
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Unbreakable Dinner Plates
I also tried similar ones to this before I went for the yellow - above. These worked well although they did scratch with constant use of knives (other people would cut up food on the plates, )
However they are unbreakable and they are colourful and safe.
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8 Pcs Unbreakable Cereal Bowls
We always had bowls for cereal or porridge in the morning. So I bought these and they worked well. Unbreakable and light.
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Easy Grip Cutlery Set
These are really good as they are big and easy grip.
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Bendable Cutlery
There are also bendable cutlery—we never really needed these. However, I have advised some to look into them for their loved ones with dementia, especially if they struggle with turning a spoon or fork to eat. They have worked well for others, and I have purchased them for when that time comes
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Plastic Tumblers/Glasses
I already changed out the cups to unbreakable, bright ones (see above), and it was time to replace the glasses. We always had pretty glasses, so I didn't want plain ones that screamed plastic. So, I purchased something similar to these. You can also find 'crystal' type plastic glasses that may work. Just look for 'shatterproof'

24-Ounce Plastic Tumblers (Set of 8), Plastic Drinking Glasses.
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Other changes I made:
Biscuit container :Â Historically we always had a glass biccie container (cookie jar). I removed the glass and replaced with plastic incase Mama dropped the glass.
Tea or Coffee Canister: Again, clear. Easy to open - no complicated lock. Some may seem simple to us, but make it as easy as take off lid and good to go. I also labeled them.
Heat Proof Silicone Utensils: Always had these and kept them to a minimum.
Labels: Labeled everything in the kitchen. At some point, it became more helpful for the carers than for Mama, as she would put items in any cupboard or drawer. The labels helped the carers return items to their proper places, as Mama was accustomed to finding them in certain areas but would forget where they belonged.
I removed sharp objects or anything that could break and shatter. Removed the sharp knives and put them in a drawer where they couldn't be reached. Made it clean and simplistic. De-clutter. The majority of what your PWD will need as opposed to you or whoever is cooking, will differ.
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Have you used any of these? What did you think? Are there others you think work better? Add in the comments below.
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