Hand tremors when eating

[Wombatz]

My wife was diagnosed with PSP nearly two years ago. Recently she has been having problems when eating a meal with a knife and fork. The hand with the knife goes into severe tremors. This has gradually got worse. Once it starts she cannot stop I am not sure she knows she's doing it until I tell her. She has great difficulty stopping. Tried just using a spoon but it still happened.

[OllieFisher1]

My father gets fed 90% of the time by someone either at the care home or one of us unless its a hard food (not messy in the hand) like a biscuit, or a slice of cheese which he can manage by himself as long as someone helps him with hand to mouth co-ordination.

[Marazion]

we had this with mum. SALT advised using a spoon and place guard to keep food on the plate. Her co-ordination wasn’t there anymore and she preferred to use her hands to eat. Also cutting up the food into smaller pieces was advised. Eating was slow and so they advised small portions as generally cold food isn’t nice for anyone. Her consultant also confirmed her sight had changed - can’t look up or down so the table level was key. She is now supervised when eating in her nursing home and also using thickener for fluids and level five diet.

[LuisRodicioRodicio]

Hi Wombatz!

I'm sorry about your situation.

In the PSP course there comes a time when it is very difficult for the patient to be able to eat on their own and needs to be assisted.

Here are some indications that in our case were useful.

Hug and luck.

Luis

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"Prevent solids or regular liquids from reaching the lungs to avoid eventual “aspiration pneumonia,” (Besides falls, this is another very important risk.)

• Add thickeners (eg, Resource from Nestle, Thick-it, Simply Thick-Easy Mix, CVs,etc.) to drinks (soups, water, Aquarius (*) orange or lemon or similar without gas, etc.) till obtain a sufficient glutinous liquid. To drink, it is advisable to use a special cup (Ornamin 815) with the chin as near as possible to the chest. Some mango and peach juices have an adequate consistency.

(*) Isotonic drinks are interesting to help maintain blood electrolytes at the correct level.

• The food must be moderately doughy and in small pieces, around ½”-3/4” if solid.

• The speech therapist has insisted that she should not take meals that "deceive" the mechanism of swallowing that is damaged. The foods that “deceive” are those that have liquids and solids in the same bite (eg, some beans with soup or a soup with pasta).

• Check the patient is sitting fully upright to eat and try not to have distractions around while he is eating.

• Making a puree with a hand blender is always a solution, but it is preferable to crush with a fork until a homogeneous paste without liquid and so as not forget the function of chewing. What is not used is lost!.

David750 point out: “I found with my wife (PSP) the food had to be more and more ultra smooth. Gauging this was difficult- not too runny not too thick. Liquidising food I found I had to be liquidised when hot to get the smoothness required. Any "grittiness" in the food caused choking”

I

[daddyt]

There is a weighted glove available, check with OT first for assessment. As already suggested, are finger foods..

Tim