Not eating

[Louise70]

Hi Everyone

Could anyone please help me, my mom is in the later stages and can't eat food in solid form she has been having forty sips from the doctor but he didn't tell us only to give her one aday. We thought it was to replace all meals ! Could anyone recommend some simple "liquid" foods or would you recommend getting a liquidiser ?

I'm at my wits end i know there's nothing i can do to stop it but i need to make sure she is eating.

After being on here and reading all the posts and info sheet's i already feel i have let her down by not demanding more from our Gp who hasn't been the best of help. Although i suppose there isnt anything i can do about it now.

Please help if you can.

All my warmest wishes to you all
Love Louise x

 

[VIB35]

Fortisip

Hi Louise

We are very familiar with Fortisip as my mother has probably 3 a day. She eats very little as she finds food 'disgusting' so we give her these milkshakes to make up for her incredibly poor diet. She has put on weight (having lost loads last year) so they must be doing something right. She is only 64 and has always loved good food...

Alternatively have you tried making really nutricious soups?

All the best

 

[wendyg70]

Hi Louise.
You shouldnt feel that you have let your mother down in anyway, we all do what we can for our loved ones but sometimes there are things that we miss or dont ask. Sometimes its like feeling around in the dark isnt it. I dont know if this is will be of any help at all to you, but on the subject of your mother not eating, have you thought about looking at some of the baby weaning books? they have some good simple but nutritious recipies for the first weaning stage, that are blended/liquidised down, you can make them to a consistency that it suitable for your mum. The colours dont alway look very appealing, but they dont taste too bad. Or fruit smoothies look nicer and make a change. She will still be able to have her 3 x meals a day then. Take care Wendy x

 

[germain]

Hi,

When our Mum wet thro' a bad time in hospital and then stopped eating altogether,losing over 1.5 stone, we used Ensure Plus (either milk shake or fruit juice variety ) 3 times daily PLUS as many full fat yoghurts and ice creams as we could get down her.

Think the drinks give over 350 calories per go. She's managed to put back around 8lbs in weight now but its been a very long slow and tortuous process which has tried our patience to the very extreme.

She's started eating by herself much better now but it takes a long,long time.

Don't give up

Regards
germain

 

[Louise70]

thanks

Hi

Thank you all for your replies and of course your good ideas I will continue to give her the shakes and get some soups and persevere with the yoghurts !

She is very weak and sleeps most of the day so as you can imagine it is quite difficult.

Thanks again for your advise.

Love and warm wishes
Louise x

 

[Amy]

Hiya Louise

After being on here and reading all the posts and info sheet's i already feel i have let her down by not demanding more from our Gp who hasn't been the best of help.

I so know how you feel, but all we can do is our best.

When mum was having trouble eating she was on a soft diet....mashed potatoes, food that didnt require chewing. If that is too much then I would try a liquidiser. Mum had fortisips several times a day. If your mum is in the latter stages, doesnt really matter what food she eats, if there is something she enjoys give her that.

What matters now is that mum is comfortable.
Take care.
Love Helen

 

[Nell]

If your mum is in the latter stages, doesnt really matter what food she eats, if there is something she enjoys give her that.

What matters now is that mum is comfortable.
Take care.
Love Helen

This is good advice. If your Mum has gone "off" food, you might need to try all sorts of things to find something that will tempt her to eat.

Generally at this stage it seems to be agreed that calories are more important than trying to get a "healthy diet" eaten.

Have you tried chocolate milk, ice-cream, custard and jelly, etc. . . . . .? I mention these because they are sweet (and many elderly folk like sweet things) but also they slip down easily without much chewing or effort.

Every best wish in coping with this difficult situation.

 

[Louise.D]

I've been in this situation with my mum. I've spent many a night wearing a hole in the capet. Beating myself up emotionally and asking myself 'Have I done enough?'. I've spent hours trying to get her to eat, bullying her untill I cry. Getting angry with the GP and care home staff, demanding to see her nutrition chart (and quite rightly so)

She's decided to eat now. (Well for the last three weeks anyway)She's lost 3 kilos this week. The consultant says 'it's the nature of the disease'. I've not given up on her but the reality is I, and they cannot do anymore for her.

My mum loves McDonalds latte coffee. They are full of calories. The frustrating thing is that the care home use semi skimmed milk. Ehh.... sort of defeats the object of an 'weight gaining diet'. Bl**dy places.

Has she a cup that she/carers can manaage? Sometimes the problem is with getting the liquid in. It takes such effort to suck via a straw.

You have done everything you can.