Feeding yourself a meal or having a snack is the fourth activity of daily living (“ADL”).
How well do you get nutrition into your body?
Things to consider about one’s ability to feed themselves include:
Ability to lift food and beverages from a plate, bowl, cup, glass, or table to your mouth without excessively dropping items or spilling,
Obtain appropriate nutrition from a feeding tube or intravenously, and
Chewing and swallowing food without choking.
Things that may prevent you from getting proper nutrition include:
Arthritic hands that can’t grasp silverware,
Size of food pieces are too large to chew or swallow, and
Neurological disorders or damage such as multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and spinal injuries.