Abstrakt
This chapter focuses on promoting enjoyment of food by those caring for people with dementia, in long-term nursing and care home settings. It describes the Bon Appetit programme carried out in care homes in the Czech Republic.
The programme did not deal solely with the nutritional aspects of food, but also on social and culturally important food values that contribute to a wider framework of care for people with dementia. The aim of the Bon Appetit intervention was to enable care home residents to receive the best possible experience from their food, including appropriate nutrition, and to offer staff the support needed in achieving these goals.
The philosophy of the programme was based on the belief that 'good food' is that which is prepared by using good raw materials and served with respect to its consumers. Although the programme outlined was developed for use in nursing or care homes and other long-term care settings its principles can be used in hospitals where older people with dementia receive medical or mental health care.