Which category covers tools or devices that assist residents with eating difficulties?

• A. Skin Care for Gastrostomy
• B. NPO Care
• C. Assistive Devices for Eating
• D. Frequent Mouth Care for Residents Not Eating

Answer: (C)

Assistive devices for eating involve adaptive tools that help residents who have difficulty feeding themselves. These tools—such as utensils with built-up handles, angled or easy-grip utensils, plate guards, and non-slip cups or bowls—are designed to improve independence, safety, and nutrition by compensating for reduced hand strength, tremors, or coordination problems. They make self-feeding more feasible and reduce spills.

The other categories don’t serve this purpose: skin care for gastrostomy addresses skin around a feeding tube, not devices that aid eating; nothing-by-mouth care concerns whether a resident is allowed to eat rather than how they eat; and frequent mouth care for residents not eating focuses on oral hygiene and comfort rather than feeding aids.