Finger Foods

Dementia can often lead to difficulties with co-ordination, motor skills and attention span. This means it can be a struggle for some to use cutlery or concentrate on finishing meals, providing finger foods can be a good solution. Finger foods are those that are prepared in a way that makes them easy to pick up and eat with the hands.

Finger foods help to maintain independence and self-esteem at mealtimes as the person may not have to rely on assistance from staff. They are also in complete control of what they eat and the time it takes to eat. Finger foods are easy to eat either at or away from a table, which can be helpful for those residents who wander or tend to leave the table in the middle of mealtimes.

When providing finger foods to residents, it is essential that a wide variety of foods are offered from each food group to ensure dietary adequacy is maintained.