Dining out with seniors who have dementia is equally joyful and challenging. While restaurants offer valuable social connections and a break from routine, the unfamiliar environment, menu choices, and stimulation can quickly become overwhelming. With thoughtful preparation and adaptive strategies, family meals out can remain enjoyable.
This article shares six practical tips to help you confidently navigate restaurant dining, from choosing dementia-friendly venues to simplifying the ordering process. These expert-approved approaches will help create positive dining experiences while minimizing stress for you and your loved one.
Seniors with Dementia Can Still Enjoy Restaurant Dining
Going out to eat at a restaurant with someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia can be challenging.
But preparing ahead of time can create a successful and enjoyable dining experience for everyone.
Many people enjoy dining out at restaurants, including seniors with dementia. It’s a nice activity for your older adult to enjoy with family and friends, and it helps them feel included.
Dining out may not be appropriate for everyone who has dementia, but it’s worth a try if you feel that your older adult could enjoy the experience.
We share six tips that help you plan and prepare when taking someone with dementia out to eat. They help avoid potential problems and make the meal easier and more pleasant.
6 Tips for Dining Out With Seniors with Dementia
1. Choose a restaurant that meets their needs
People with dementia are more sensitive to their environment.
Finding a restaurant that won’t cause agitation, anxiety, or confusion helps your older adult enjoy themselves and minimizes the chances of having an incident.
Choosing a restaurant with a calmer, quieter environment will likely make the outing easier and more pleasant.
A restaurant that’s very familiar to your older adult is also a good choice since they’re likely to feel comfortable there.
Aim for a place that isn’t too crowded or noisy, has helpful staff, and doesn’t take too long for a meal. It should also serve foods that your older adult likes to eat.
You may also want to choose a place with an easy-to-access bathroom and, if needed, one that’s large enough for you to provide assistance.
2. Choose an ideal time of day
People typically feel best at a particular time of day. For many older adults, this is earlier when they’re not as tired.
Going out for a meal during their “best” time of day increases the likelihood of success and enjoyment.
For example, you may want to arrive at the restaurant for lunch as early as 11 a.m. That means the restaurant will be less crowded, and the service will probably be faster.
Or, maybe they’re better after their late-morning nap. If so, you could go for a late lunch when the crowds have thinned. If you’re going to dinner, consider eating early in the evening.
3. Bring helpful dining and bathroom items
Bring the helpful items that your older adult typically uses during a meal to make it easier to eat.
That might include:
- Special utensils, dishware, or a cup
- Towel or moist wipes
- Stylish covering to keep clothes clean (like this one for women or this one for men)
- An extra sweater in case they get cold
- Any items needed in the bathroom
4. Ask for extra help at the restaurant
At the restaurant, consider asking to be seated at a quiet table or one where your older adult can sit with their back to the crowd. This can keep them from getting overwhelmed or agitated.
When seated, inform the server about special needs, such as extra napkins or utensils. You may also want to tell them if you need speedy service or if you want them to bring all the food at once instead of the appetizer and entree separately.
Helping your older adult order also prevents confusion or overwhelm. Suggest one or two meal choices you know they like, read certain menu parts to them, or point out one or two pictures.
Using the toilet in an unfamiliar bathroom can be difficult for someone with dementia. If they need to use the restroom, be sure to go with them and provide assistance to prevent an accident or problems.
5. Discreetly let others know that your companion has dementia (optional)
Some find it helpful to discreetly hand out “awareness cards” that explain that your companion has Alzheimer’s or dementia and ask for extra patience.
See an example card here.
These cards can help others be more understanding without drawing too much attention or potentially embarrassing your older adult with a public explanation.
You could create and print simple cards yourself, print cards from templates available for free online, or buy pre-printed cards.
Some helpful resources:
- Free download and print Dementia assistance cards – Tip: leave the fields blank, check the “Companion card” box, choose “8 labels,” and click the “Create card” button
- Free download and print Alzheimer’s Please Be Patient card
- Free download and print awareness cards for Lewy Body dementia
- Purchase pre-printed Alzheimer’s Please Be Patient cards
6. Keep the outing short
Older adults with dementia typically become tired easily.
Keeping a restaurant outing brief helps avoid any issues caused by becoming overtired.
That might mean skipping the appetizer or taking dessert to go and sticking to entrees that take little time for the kitchen to prepare.
Don’t rush your older adult while eating (that could cause agitation), but look for signs that they’re becoming tired and take them home before fatigue makes them anxious, angry, or uncooperative.
Recommended for you:
- 11 Adaptive Utensils and Eating Aids for Hand Tremors, Dementia, Parkinson’s, Stroke
- How to Talk to Someone With Dementia: Calm, Positive Body Language
- Understanding and Managing Dementia Behaviors: A Comprehensive Guide
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About the Author
Connie Chow
Connie was a hands-on caregiver for her grandmother for 20 years. (Grandma made it to 101 years old!) She knows how challenging, overwhelming, and all-consuming caring for an older adult can be. She also knows how important support is — especially in the form of practical solutions, valuable resources, and self-care tips.
One of Mom’s favorite restaurants that checks all the boxes described above is located near a large senior assisted living community. It’s probably no coincidence that the staff is always very patient and helpful with Mom.
That’s wonderful! We’re so glad that you have a lovely restaurant nearby where you can all dine comfortably.
Helpful article except for one thing: it assumes that the person with dementia is a senior. This is not always the case. Perhaps it should be retitled “Tips for Dining Out with Someone with Dementia”.
We’re so glad this information is helpful. We certainly agree that dementia affects a variety of people of all ages, not just seniors. But because the DailyCaring mission is to help families caring for older adults, we focus on issues that people caring for seniors commonly face (including dementia).
We very much hope that our tips, advice, and resources are helpful to a wide range of people and situations since the symptoms and challenges of Alzheimer’s and dementia are often universal.