Final answer:
Offering small meals and snacks throughout the day is a technique that can help ensure a patient with dementia gets adequate nutrition. Adding empty calories to all food is not recommended. Turning on the television as a distraction during meals and feeding a patient if they refuse to eat are not effective strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
One technique that would assist in ensuring a patient with dementia is getting adequate nutrition is to offer small meals and snacks throughout the day. This helps to provide a continuous supply of nutrients and can be easier for the patient to manage. However, it is not advisable to add empty calories to all food as this would provide little nutritional value and can contribute to other health issues. Instead, it is important to provide nutrient-dense foods.
Turning on the television to provide a distraction when the patient is eating is not a recommended technique, as it may actually hinder their ability to focus on eating. Lastly, if the patient refuses to eat, it is important to work with healthcare professionals to determine the best approach. This may involve exploring any underlying issues that may be affecting the patient's appetite and finding alternative ways to meet their nutritional needs.
Learn more about Nutrition for patients with dementia