Most, if not all, Alzheimer’s patients struggle to finish the food on their plates even with the encouragement of caretakers or loved ones. For this reason, 40% of Alzheimer’s patients lose an unhealthy amount of weight. Major weight loss is said to be caused by the inability to focus on more than one food at a time, depression, or inability to eat unassisted. Cronin Golomb and her colleagues believed that the major weight loss was caused by visual cognitive deficiencies caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease cannot process visual data, such as depth perception and contrast.
To test their theory, the Cronin Golomb team monitored the food intake of advanced Alzheimer’s patients with standard white and bright red plates. The research found that patients eating on bright red plates consumed 25% more food than those who ate with white food plates. The red plate provided visual aid for the patients, allowing older adults with Alzheimer’s to see the food better. On a white plate the food can be difficult to see if the patient has visual impairments. This has led most nursing homes to implement red plates to improve the food consumption. Special red plates for older adults with visual impairments have even been marketed by private companies.
The red plate study allows people to understand the visual problems Alzheimer’s patients experience. Although this study did not solve Alzheimer’s disease, it did help improve the daily lives of Alzheimer’s patients. This study provides information that can help those caring for someone with the disease, whether it is caregivers or loved ones. The large impact that the change of color in the plate caused shows how small changes can improve a person’s quality of life. The red plate study findings led the Cronin Golomb team to the gray pill experiment, which found that pills that are the right shade of gray can be easier for patients to locate. Overall, these research studies have helped educate caregivers about how to use visual aids to improve older adults functioning like improving food consumption and medication management.
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By: Cindy Birrueta
Office Support Specialist at WellPath Partners
Health Care Administration Graduate, California State University, Long Beach
