After recently losing her husband to early onset dementia, Diana Smith-Harris is shining the spotlight on a recipe book to help those living with the illness.
Anyone that has had an experience with someone with dementia will understand the importance of the senses.
Touch, taste and smell are all particularly useful at bringing back memories.
Diana Smith-Harris found a way that she could support those with dementia through cooking and is now the cover-star of Eating Well with Dementia, a recipe book full of easy recipes and practical advice for those living with the illness.
The book was developed by Young Dementia Leeds, a community service that supports people just like Diana who have had a loved one go through the deterioration of dementia.
Diana got involved with the charity after her husband Eugene Harris was diagnosed with dementia in 2016. At only 62, his condition was classed as early onset dementia, but Diana had known for a while that the diagnosis was inevitable.
Wanting to help others, Diana has channelled the positive experiences that she had from the Young Dementia team, such as the cookery classes and found her way on to the front cover of the Young Dementia Leeds cookbook: Eating Well with Dementia.
Across Leeds there are an estimated 8,000 people living with dementia and 300 – 400 additional people that have early onset dementia, aged from just 48 onwards.
The book notes that “eating well and maintaining good nutrition can be a real challenge for people trying to live well with dementia, their families and carers. But eating is also about enjoyment and well-being: food can be a great way to bring back positive memories inspired by touch, taste and smell.
The first book of its kind tailored to and developed with people living with dementia, their families and carers, Eating Well with Dementia offers a wide variety of recipes that are easy to cook and delicious to eat — from finger foods to classic favourites.”
The dementia cookbook can be purchased on Amazon to help those living with the condition or those affected by it in Leeds and across the UK.
Feature Image- Inspire North
