Kathy Cocks RN interviews Melissa Bernstein OT about what Occupational Therapist do and how to involve care recipients in the kitchen to build memories and assist with health eating.
https://www.kathysconsulting.com/
Melissa@thepoweroffivetestKitchen.com
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Katherine Cocks0:02
Hi, my name is Kathy. I've been a geriatric nurse for over 10 years. Many times when I would meet with family members of aged loved ones, they didn't always know what to do. I started this podcast knowledge for caregivers, to assist them with practical suggestions as they assist their own loved ones age with dignity and grace.
Katherine Cocks0:30
I want to welcome everyone back to the podcast. And today I am interviewing Melissa Bernstein. She is an occupational therapist. She's a member of the fellow of American Occupational Therapy Association's she is also a certified chef and has written a book about cooking for your person that you're taking care of. As a caregiver, I read the book over the weekend, and I was really excited that there were practical suggestions. But there were pictures of adaptive kitchen equipment some so many times we don't see that, Melissa? So I know you've been doing occupational therapy for about 40 years. Tell us a little bit about what occupational therapists do. Because I think people confuse that with physical therapists.
Melissa Bernstein1:17
Yes, well, thank you so much for having me today, speak with your audience, you and your audience. I have been an occupational therapist for a very long time, I actually was in physical therapy first. And I thought this is really not for me, I really want to be creative and be able to use a adaptations for people. So occupational therapy is a master's or a doctorate level program. I think they're all doctorate level at this point now. And we're healthcare professionals, we work in an interdisciplinary team with physicians, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, all for the benefit of who's ever in our care whether by an accident or disability, so we help people across their lifespan, to engage and participate in the things that they need or want to do. So therapeutic use of everyday activities of daily living, which is bathing, feeding, dressing, hygiene, cooking, all of the things that we do and take for granted on a daily basis, when someone has an accident or someone is disabled. These are challenges for them. So occupational therapists would intervene and assist in maximizing their functional capabilities within their abilities based on their disease or based on their accident, right
Katherine Cocks2:38
And I know my father in law has really bad arthritis, and an occupational therapist worked with him on a button hook to hook he can do the best, and he can dress himself. And what I've heard is whatever they can do for themselves, it increases their self esteem. Have you found that to be true in your practice?
Melissa Bernstein2:58
It's very true. So you know, I've treated many patients and children of really people of all ages, in my practice, utilizing those adaptive devices to help promote independence is very special to them, because now they can do something within their disability. And it does give them a sense of pride and independence. I mean, they don't want to lose their independence or they have lost and they can regain it, which is very special.
Katherine Cocks3:25
Thank you. Now you are also a chef. So tell me how did the power of five test kitchen and cookbook for caregivers? How did that concept originate with you?
Melissa Bernstein3:35
It's one of those things that happens in life where you don't expect kind of you don't expect something like this to happen. Now as an occupational therapist, I've done a lot of different things over my career. And being a chef was not really on my list. As it turned out. I've always loved to cook. And what really sprouted is from Dr. Bernstein, my husband, his book, The Power of five, the formula for longevity and remaining useful, I forgot the title of the book all of a sudden. And there's a separate section in the back of that book that talks about healthy eating and putting the power of five into practice. And that provides a list of a week sample menu on healthy eating that's based on a Mediterranean lifestyle. I helped to create that second part of the book I thought you know what I need to be doing this more cooking. I started a blog. On our website, you can see a lot of my recipes posted I write about healthy eating and cooking. I was already kind of working on a book, the cookbook and I don't want to jump ahead but that kind of all culminated into developing a cookbook and getting being a certified vegan chef, that so even though we believe in the Mediterranean diet is a very good diet. For most we practice plant based, a pennant based diet. So if you noticed in my recipes in the book, you Notice that there's lots of options for people. So if they're a pescatarian, or if they're gluten intolerant, or if they do not eat dairy, there's lots of options with the recipe. So that's kind of how this whole thing created with the power five cookbook.
Katherine Cocks5:17
That is awesome. When I did look at it, I didn't have a ton of time. I don't do gluten, my daughter celiac, I sort of have that sensitivity, but I also don't do much dairy. So I haven't done much cottage cheese, but I found a recipe in there for cottage cheese.
Melissa Bernstein5:29
It's delicious. It may not so you don't have a not intolerance, right.
Katherine Cocks5:33
I don't have I not as much. So yeah, I saw that. So I was kind of excited cuz I was like, Oh, that's great. Now, the one thing I really am curious about, is you talked about cooking with people who have dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, I've always been a little nervous putting them in the kitchen. So tell me about that. How that works.
Melissa Bernstein5:53
Healthy Eating is really important for all of us, as well as people with neurodegenerative disorders. What happened is I into bars who we've provided a lot of education for to their caregivers. It's a memory care community in Florida, we have done a lot doc, Dr. Bernstein has a lot of work with them on Alzheimer's and dementia, lots of training to their staff. And when we looked at the power of five and started cooking and doing the cookbook, I kind of put my cookbook on pause and thought, what can we do for these caregivers to feel comfortable bringing their care recipients into the kitchen and being an OT and being that I love to cook I thought well, we can break down these recipes and make it simple keep it really simple for the caregiver to be able to feel comfortable bringing their special person or their care recipients into the kitchen. As we know as caregivers, they're on a schedule, they rush rush rush the day, they have certain things that they have to do with the one that they're taking care of. They don't often stop and take care of themselves. And there's a lot of fatigue that goes into being a caregiver. And there's sometimes they're very stressed out. So I'm suggesting that they just take a pause and do something different with their care recipient, it could be a little scary bringing their care recipient in to the kitchen. But I provided a checklist to help them understand where what level their person is asked so that they can break down a recipe and have them participate to whatever level they can participate. So that it's not scary to bring them into the kitchen picking something very, very simple to start with making a fruit salad, just cutting up the fruit or even if they can't cut up the fruit, buying it already pre cut and just pouring it together. And stirring any level of engagement can be beneficial to both the caregiver who's doing something different with the care recipient. And of course, the care recipient.
Katherine Cocks7:55
Yeah, I just found this fascinating. It's something I definitely want to be able to recommend to my family members and say, Hey, if you want to try it, maybe it will work out I do think just the thought of like I'm thinking already you as an OT, stirring, building those hand muscles. All of that is definitely very important. Just my last interview with the physical therapist, she's like, just have them do everyday things. And that's still building strength. And so you're sort of reinforcing that same guy,
Melissa Bernstein8:25
right. And you know, working on a hand coordination, just following simple directions. Being close by just the act of participating gives them a sense of accomplishment. Food is very powerful. But there's other things that happen when you cook with someone, someone who has memory loss. Some of these a recipe or music, if you play some music might stimulate and bring back a memory that was long lost. And so it helps to facilitate a recipe that they made with their grandmother or their their siblings that can trigger and bring them back to making that recipe and it opens up communication between the caregiver and the care recipient. They can talk about that. Talk about what happened when they made that recipe. How did they feel? Did they listen to music, it really facilitates all the senses it just cooking is just such so powerful. We all eat, we all cook, some of us cook more than others. But we all it's a central place for family and it's a central place for families to do things together. I can remember things that my mother made when I was a little girl and my grandmother recipes that I use of hers. It's a central theme and every
Katherine Cocks9:36
family. I really like what you have brought as far as cooking with your family member because you're right caregivers get busy and if they do it together, maybe it tried to watch them right be in the kitchen cooking. Did they fall you know? Exactly.
Melissa Bernstein9:55
Have them they're just sitting watching I mean and talking with them while you're while they're cooking they can't participate. They're they're listening, they can sit, they can listen to the music, they can communicate and talk to each other. There's so many facets to cooking in the kitchen and so much variety that I think any dementia or Alzheimer's patient, or Parkinson's can benefit from any participation in the kitchen and meal preparation.
Katherine Cocks10:21
Do you have any stories of somebody you've seen work in the kitchen and it'd be a really positive experience.
Melissa Bernstein10:28
I actually a friend of ours was talking about her mother who believe it was her mother who was in early in her 90s, who was not communicating well, and they decided to bring her into the kitchen to make some spaghetti dish that she used to make. And they put on her favorite Italian song, the woman started clapping her hands. And so our friend Linda went and took her hands and they were dancing around the kitchen initiated just such inner thoughts and joy about the time when she cooked that she they were dancing around the kitchen and swaying to the music. And she helped to participate in actually making that spaghetti dinner with her, her mother. Things like that happen all the time, if given the opportunity, and I think a lot of caregivers might a little bit have blinders on what's possible, and what can still be possible to really working to try and trigger some of those memories and the communication should never stop whether it's back and forth or not that communication is so important. And music is so important, as I mentioned, it's very, very important. And if they're not too distractible, you can certainly have that on when you're cooking. But if they are then I would wait till after you're finished with the recipe. You know, when you're sitting eating the fruits of your labor, right, you can put some music on and enjoy it.
Katherine Cocks11:51
How about when you have dementia, Alzheimer's on cooking? It seems that they get pickier. Yeah, have there been things that you find that work with that,
Melissa Bernstein12:04
I think that's really important to have there are having some problems with swallowing, or they're having some problems with taste that those get evaluated by a speech and language pathologist to ensure that there's not any type of swallowing issue. I think utilizing additional spices and foods can help to sharpen the taste of foods for those folks, but again, and having things that they like rather than be sure that it's foods that they like. And in my evaluation that I have in that book, you can see that there's a section that says likes and dislikes, it's really important when they're cooking, or even when you're preparing a meal for them that it's something that they like to eat, but their senses do tend to reduce as they get older. And so utilizing protein shakes and things that would add additional calories and additional vitamins and minerals to help with nutrition. But if they're having a swallowing or chewing problem, I would recommend that they do get additional evaluation so that you're just sure that they're okay to eat certain kinds of foods. And sometimes you might have to soften their diet a little bit. If they're eating something that's really tough. You might have to cut into smaller pieces for them. Eating chewing and swallowing is really, really important to keep track of and get your arms around. So there aren't any issues with choking.
Katherine Cocks13:32
Correct. And you know that evaluation is so important. I actually had a client he kept complaining about the food. We made it softer and softer and softer. Finally, it was a caregiver who goes his dentures don't fit right.
Melissa Bernstein13:42
You know, that's great. Exactly.
Katherine Cocks13:45
They went to the dentist got his dentures fixed and then now he was eating better and very good point. Yes, you're right. I think caregivers get so busy now that your the blinders are the tunnel vision, they're just trying to get through the day,
Melissa Bernstein13:58
I recommend doing trying it one time doing something very simple. I mean, I I understand they're busy and trying to get through things. But if they can do a little something everyday, even in the self care skills, not necessary. I mean feeding and eating and cooking are great, but also in their self care skills, everyday allowing them to do things for themselves, because I think oftentimes we foster dependence rather than independence because of scheduling. And because it's faster if we do it, rather than letting them do it for themselves, letting them do things for themselves. That is a key to make sure that whatever activity they're doing, it's easier on them. I used to talk with AIDS in the nursing home when I was a practicing therapist, and I would explain to them over and over again, if you let them do what you're themselves. It's gonna save you time in the long run because you can set them up with their little bathing tub and they can use leave a washcloth there they can wash themselves, go to something else come back in terms of time management and fostering independence, it really does work. And you just have to encourage the caregivers to try it. And to it'll make their lives easier and more rewarding as well.
Katherine Cocks 15:14
So it is always tempting to just say I'm going to do it rather than letting them do it for themselves. You know, I
Melissa Bernstein15:20
did forget to expand on one talking about how the concept sprouted from Dr. Bernstein's book, The Power of five, I neglected to say that the power five is about the five S's, which is getting more sleep, more sweat and more socialization, and less stress and less sweets. And that this sweets s is what encompasses all healthy eating. So that was kind of the initiation for the power five test kitchen and the cookbook, etc. So I did want to give credit to where credit is due from initiation. Everything that I'm doing, right, yes, the power five is pretty powerful.
Katherine Cocks16:03
Thank you, Melissa, you have shared great stuff, tell us how we can contact you get your book, give us the name. Again, it is the
Melissa Bernstein16:11
power of five Test Kitchen Cookbook caregiver edition. You can buy it on our website, power of five Test Kitchen calm or David Bernstein md.com. We have our own store. And it's a little bit of a discount rather than on Amazon. So you may want to get it through us. I can be reached
Melissa@atthepoweroffivetestKitchen.com
Katherine Cocks16:35
Thank you very much. And all of that if you didn't catch it will also be on the show notes with the email and website and the name of the book and all of that so that if you do I really just was able to do a Kindle version real quick to get ready so that I had all the information and I liked what I saw. Definitely something I would like to recommend to my clients.
Melissa Bernstein16:57
Thank you so much for having me and let's get out there and get Cooking.
Katherine Cocks17:02
Cooking. I agree. Thank you very much. You're very welcome. I hope you have enjoyed this podcast. If you have found it helpful, then share it. If you wish to contact me for consulting services you can reach me at www.kathysconsulting.com and Kathy's is spelled K a t h y s. Remember, our content is meant for informational purposes only, and not to replace the advice of healthcare professionals.