M7 · Needs help to eat
Actual Movement and self-care
Definition
The person cannot bring food to the mouth or manage meals alone.- Tremor
- weak hands
- poor vision
- confusion
- fatigue
- Spills food
- cannot cut meat
- stops eating early
📋 Scenario
A man with Parkinson's disease shakes and spills his soup.
Subjective (S): "My hands shake and I drop things."
Objective (O): Parkinson's disease; spills soup; takes 45 minutes to eat; eats only half.
Assessment tools for this scenario: CP-MOVE Movement & Self-Care Score
Validated scales to consider: Barthel Index, Katz ADL
**CarePath diagnosis:** Needs help to eat related to tremor, as evidenced by spills food and cannot cut meat.
**Interventions and rationale**
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Set up the meal. | Setting out the meal, opening packages and cutting food lets him start eating without wasting energy on tasks he cannot manage. |
| Use adaptive cutlery. | Weighted or built-up cutlery steadies the hand and cuts spilling, so he can feed himself. |
| Give time. | Eating slowly with a tremor takes longer, and time lets him finish without rushing or becoming tired and frustrated. |
| Assist if needed. | Help prevents him going hungry or giving up when the tremor is too strong, while still leaving him to do what he can. |
| Check intake. | Checking how much he eats shows whether he is getting enough nourishment and whether the plan is working. |
**Expected outcomes**
- Within 1 week: eats at least 75% of meals, uses adaptive cutlery, finishes meals in under 30 minutes.
**Linking the data to the diagnosis**
A man with Parkinson's disease says, "My hands shake and I drop things." He spills his soup, takes 45 minutes to eat and eats only half. The difficulty is already affecting his food intake, so this is an actual problem and not a risk. The plan aims to help him eat well and keep his independence through set-up, adaptive cutlery and time. Within 1 week the expected outcomes are eating at least 75% of meals, using adaptive cutlery and finishing meals in under 30 minutes.
CarePath diagnosis
Needs help to eat related to tremor, as evidenced by spills food and cannot cut meat.
Interventions and rationale
Listed in priority order.
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| 1. Set up the meal. | Setting out the meal, opening packages and cutting food lets him start eating without wasting energy on tasks he cannot manage. |
| 2. Use adaptive cutlery. | Weighted or built-up cutlery steadies the hand and cuts spilling, so he can feed himself. |
| 3. Give time. | Eating slowly with a tremor takes longer, and time lets him finish without rushing or becoming tired and frustrated. |
| 4. Assist if needed. | Help prevents him going hungry or giving up when the tremor is too strong, while still leaving him to do what he can. |
| 5. Check intake. | Checking how much he eats shows whether he is getting enough nourishment and whether the plan is working. |
Expected outcomes
- Within 1 week: eats at least 75% of meals, uses adaptive cutlery, finishes meals in under 30 minutes.
Linking the data to the diagnosis
A man with Parkinson's disease says, "My hands shake and I drop things." He spills his soup, takes 45 minutes to eat and eats only half. The difficulty is already affecting his food intake, so this is an actual problem and not a risk. The plan aims to help him eat well and keep his independence through set-up, adaptive cutlery and time. Within 1 week the expected outcomes are eating at least 75% of meals, using adaptive cutlery and finishing meals in under 30 minutes.