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Nancy,

My father has dementia and lives in a retirement home, and goes to an
Alzheimer's day care in the daytime.  I have to report that restricting his
diet of wheat and milk has been extremely difficult, as he does not remember
the restrictions himself, and never has been enough of a cook to know how
certain foods are made, so as to know what to avoid.  My guess is we have
about a 65-75% compliance rate.  When he gets restricted foods, it makes his
brain quite foggy, and gives him diarrhea and incontinence.

When I go to see him (he lives 450 miles away) I am always watching, of
course, to see how the diet is going, and people forget and put gravy on
things, or they give him diet ice cream instead of the rice ice cream we
furnish, or souffled vegetables, or crackers, etc.  His aide buys food for
him, and when I went, I found that she had bought non-wheat cookies made of
barley, and two other unsuitable foods which explained his fogginess the day
I arrived.

The sad thing is, I know everyone is trying as hard as they are able, but
food staff folks are not that savvy about what is actually in food.  One
person assured me that he had had no wheat because he ate macaroni and
cheese for lunch ( a double no-no!).  I hate to be so glum, but I don't
think legislation will solve the sorts of problems I've been having, unless
it has in it some sort of provision for the education of food-service people
to the nuances of this sort of food restriction.

I agree with your idea that the elderly with special dietary requirements
need advocates to insure proper compliance, but I find my once a month trips
are not adequate to accomplish the goal for my father.

Been there, tried that!  Still trying!

Susan Owens
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                            (Walter & Susan Owens)
                            [log in to unmask]
                            Dallas, Texas  USA