This Nutrition in Dementia Care course is designed for health and social care workers who support people living with dementia. It explains how dementia can affect eating, drinking, appetite, independence and swallowing, and why personalised support is essential for health, comfort and dignity.
This free online course covers nutritional risk, food preferences, meaningful mealtimes, environmental adjustments, respectful responses to food refusal and safe practice when swallowing difficulties are suspected. It also explains monitoring, professional escalation, multidisciplinary working and nutrition planning in advanced dementia.
Why Take This eLearning Course?
Eating and drinking difficulties can develop for many reasons, including changes in memory, recognition, movement, communication, health and swallowing. This course supports care staff to recognise concerns early, provide practical person-centred assistance and report changes through the appropriate care arrangements.
This course will help you to:
- Recognise how dementia may affect eating, drinking and mealtime participation
- Identify signs of malnutrition, dehydration and swallowing difficulty
- Support individual food preferences, routines and cultural requirements
- Create calmer and more accessible mealtime environments
- Encourage choice and independence without placing pressure on the person
- Respond respectfully when food or drink is refused
- Follow documented dietary, texture and swallowing instructions
- Record clear observations about intake, appetite and changing needs
- Escalate concerns to the appropriate professional promptly
- Contribute confidently to consistent, person-centred nutritional care
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Define key terms associated with nutrition, hydration and dementia care
- Describe how dementia can affect a person’s ability to eat and drink
- Identify common causes and indicators of nutritional risk
- Explain how familiar foods, routines and environments may support intake
- Apply practical approaches that promote choice and independence
- Describe appropriate responses to food and drink refusal
- Explain how consent, capacity and best interests apply to mealtime decisions
- Recognise warning signs of dysphagia and follow immediate safe practice
- Outline the purpose of the IDDSI framework
- Record, report and escalate nutrition and hydration concerns appropriately
Nutrition in Dementia Care Course Outline
Module 1: Understanding Nutrition and Dementia
Learners will define important terms including nutrition, hydration, malnutrition, dehydration, appetite, food refusal and dysphagia. The module explains how dementia may affect food recognition, attention, communication, coordination and the ability to use eating and drinking equipment. Learners will examine common causes and signs of nutritional risk, including reduced intake, weight loss, dehydration, oral discomfort, illness and medicine side effects. It also explores weight loss in late-stage dementia, balancing recognition of disease progression with the need to consider pain, infection, constipation, swallowing changes and other potentially reversible causes.
Module 2: Preferences, Familiarity and Nutritional Intake
Learners will explore how to identify a person’s food preferences, usual routines, allergies, intolerances, dietary requirements and cultural or religious practices. The module considers how familiar flavours, smells, settings and routines can support recognition, comfort and enjoyment. Learners will examine ways to offer manageable choices, use visual prompts and support existing abilities through suitable equipment and assistance. Practical approaches to improving intake are also covered, including smaller meals, nourishing snacks, finger foods and planned food enrichment that follows the person’s documented nutritional and swallowing guidance.
Module 3: Creating Supportive Mealtimes
Learners will identify environmental barriers such as noise, interruptions, clutter, poor lighting, uncomfortable temperatures, confusing patterns and unfamiliar surroundings. The module explains how to prepare a person for a meal by checking comfort, toileting needs, mouth care, dentures, positioning and access to glasses, hearing aids and suitable equipment. It also explores how timing, pacing, portion size, prompts and social arrangements can be adapted to the person’s preferences and alertness. Learners will consider practical mealtime support across home, care, clinical and hospital settings, with an emphasis on clear records and consistent approaches.
Module 4: Responding to Food and Drink Refusal
Learners will examine personal and health-related reasons why a person may refuse food or drink, including dislike, unfamiliarity, communication difficulties, distress, pain, nausea, constipation, mouth problems, infection and swallowing concerns. The module explains how to respond calmly, acknowledge the person’s decision, check for discomfort, offer suitable alternatives and return later without confrontation or coercion. Learners will also consider how the Mental Capacity Act 2005 applies in England, including the principles of presuming capacity, supporting decision-making, assessing a specific decision and following a lawful best-interests process. Indicators for escalating persistent refusal are also covered.
Module 5: Dysphagia and Swallowing Safety
Learners will define dysphagia and identify warning signs such as coughing, choking, a wet or gurgly voice, food remaining in the mouth, prolonged meals, reduced intake, weight loss and recurrent chest infections. The module explains immediate safe practice when swallowing difficulties are suspected, including remaining with the person, following the current eating and drinking plan, stopping when continuing appears unsafe and seeking appropriate assistance. Learners will review the observation, recording and escalation process for speech and language therapy referral. The module also introduces the IDDSI framework, its eight levels and the importance of following documented preparation, testing and serving instructions.
Module 6: Monitoring, Professional Review and Advanced Planning
Learners will examine what should be monitored and recorded, including food and fluid intake, appetite, refusals, weight, swallowing signs, support provided and successful approaches. The module identifies gradual and sudden changes that require professional review, such as persistent poor intake, dehydration concerns, recurrent chest infections, new confusion, drowsiness, mouth pain or an abrupt inability to manage a previously suitable meal. Learners will explore the roles of care workers, nurses, occupational and activities staff, catering teams, dietitians, speech and language therapists, GPs and other clinicians. The module concludes with person-led and clinical nutrition planning in advanced dementia, including comfort, dignity, wishes, quality of life and proportionate multidisciplinary decision-making.
Target Audience
This course is suitable for:
- Care workers and support workers assisting people with dementia
- Senior care workers and team leaders
- Nurses and nursing associates working in adult care settings
- Home care and domiciliary care staff
- Catering and activities staff involved in mealtime support
- New employees completing dementia-related workplace learning
No previous specialist knowledge is required.
FAQ
Who is this course suitable for?
The course is suitable for people who support adults living with dementia in care homes, supported living services, domiciliary care, hospitals or other adult care environments. It is also relevant to staff involved in meal preparation, care planning, monitoring or activities linked to food and mealtimes.
Do I need any previous experience?
No previous specialist knowledge is required. The content introduces key terminology and explains practical approaches clearly, making it suitable for new staff as well as experienced workers refreshing their knowledge.
What will I learn on the Nutrition in Dementia Care course?
You will learn how dementia can affect eating and drinking, how to recognise nutritional and swallowing concerns, and how to provide respectful mealtime support. The course also covers food refusal, mental capacity, IDDSI, record-keeping, escalation and multidisciplinary working.
Will this course help with day-to-day practice?
Yes. The course includes practical approaches for identifying preferences, offering choices, improving the mealtime environment, adapting meal patterns, responding to refusal and recording successful support methods.
Does the course cover practical skills?
The course explains practical support such as preparing a person for a meal, using suitable prompts and equipment, assisting with packaging or food preparation and following documented positioning, texture and drink-thickness guidance. Staff must continue to follow workplace procedures and individual care plans.
Does the course cover swallowing difficulties?
Yes. It explains the meaning of dysphagia, common warning signs, immediate safe practice, when concerns should be reported and the role of speech and language therapy. It also outlines the purpose of the IDDSI framework.
How does the course address consent and mental capacity?
The course explains that food refusal does not automatically mean a person lacks capacity. It introduces the relevant Mental Capacity Act 2005 principles for England, including supporting the person to decide, assessing capacity for the specific decision and using lawful best-interests processes when required.
How long does the course take?
The course is self-paced and usually takes around 1 hour to complete.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. A certificate is issued after successful completion.
Supporting nutrition and hydration in dementia care requires careful observation, respectful communication and an understanding of each person’s abilities, preferences and changing needs. This course provides practical knowledge to help staff contribute to safe, consistent and person-centred mealtime support.
Enrol now to build your understanding of nutrition in dementia care.
