Lynnie771,hi.
Sometimes their mouth gets to dry,if are small pills use apple sauce.Just take a spoon of applesauce and put the pill on top.
For food mostly will be puree`(sorry don`t know in english),all food must be puree`(smashed like a smashed potato).
But the best way to exercise the swelling(swolling)is to let your love one drink fluids through a straw,it makes the muscles around the throat stronger.
If you can buy a baby cup,the one with the little three holes with both handles(plastic one)drinking water from that type of cup makes the tongue muscles stronger.
One more exercise to tuffer the throat is making them singing like the opera does,aaaa aaaa,I`m not joking,I did that to my best friend when she had the same problem for different reasons at that time.
I wish you good luck and be strong.
I hope you don`t mind if I answered you since I am new.
Today was my first day of knowing this disease,my best friend she got sick of alzheimer's too but all the tricks I told you were tricks that I learned in ten years of enjoyable and painful friendship with her,painful I mean back and for to the hospitals for different reason all the times,now I got a new one.
Good luck again Lynnie771