Adjusting to mealtime change within the context of dementia.

Little is known about how persons with dementia and their care partners respond to mealtime changes that occur throughout the dementia journey. By interviewing 27 persons living with dementia and their 28 care partners, we explored the meaning and experience of change surrounding mealtimes. Participants adjusted to mealtime change by adapting to an evolving life, as a result of a dynamic process of becoming aware of change, attaching meaning to change, and responding to change. Seminal events compounded by a sense of things being different triggered awareness of mealtime changes. Meaning was attached to mealtime changes, observed through emotions experienced and diverse strategies developed to support mealtime values. Responding to change ranged from resisting, to being in a holding pattern, to transforming and adapting. Understanding how individuals and families adjust to mealtime changes, and the strategies they develop, provides critical insights for supporting families throughout the dementia journey.