Any ideas on what to serve at mealtime?

[Amelie5a]

Dad (91) was diagnosed with mixed dementia nearly 5 years ago. He's deteriorated over that time, but still functions with a degree of independence. He lives at home still, as yours truly has pretty much moved in to support him.

He's always had a really healthy appetite, can still make himself toast, and used to be really appreciative of anything made for him.

Dementia has said goodbye to the appreciation, but until very recently, he was eating well. (Although, anything coming out of the microwave was never eaten with much relish - but he'd at least eat some of it).

But now he's taking one mouthful of something and proclaiming it awful, pushing the dish away. I'm struggling as to what to do. Yesterday I cooked lamb chops with veg, potato, etc and he wolfed it down. Followed by raspberries/cream. But today, with one of the carers, he detested a particular meal which he enjoyed last time he had it. It was chicken in a tasty sauce.

I'm not worried about him starving as he's happy to tuck in to cake and fruit during the day.

But, as he still has the capacity to enjoy food, I'd like to be able to get him one hot meal a day which he'll eat. Rice and pasta are increasingly a no-no - he just doesn't seem to like the texture. So I'm trying to get closer to the kind of simple food he ate when younger - but even that is tricky. Mince and potato used to be a no-brainer, but he seems to have gone off that now too.

Anyone got any ideas of what I could try food-wise?

 

[karaokePete]

As dementia progresses the sense of taste suffers but sweet and sour are the last tastes to go. This is why cake and ice cream become staples of the diet.

Maybe if you think in terms of the sweet and sour you will be able to come up with something.

 

[Amelie5a]

He's certainly got a taste for cake and ice-cream. Dad's face literally lights up at the offer of ice-cream.

Funny you should mention 'sweet and sour' - that was often his choice of meal for Chinese takeaway. A few weeks ago I ordered it for him - he took a few mouthfuls and then announced it was 'funny' and wouldn't eat any more.

But food with a 'tang' can work. I suspect the lamb chops were wolfed down, in part, because of the mint sauce.

It's just I can't believe that, of all things, it's food that's adding to the stress. If his appetite had just faded that would be one thing - it's the complete not knowing what'll work, day by day, that's beginning to make me dread teatime.

 

[AliceA]

He's certainly got a taste for cake and ice-cream. Dad's face literally lights up at the offer of ice-cream.

Funny you should mention 'sweet and sour' - that was often his choice of meal for Chinese takeaway. A few weeks ago I ordered it for him - he took a few mouthfuls and then announced it was 'funny' and wouldn't eat any more.

But food with a 'tang' can work. I suspect the lamb chops were wolfed down, in part, because of the mint sauce.

It's just I can't believe that, of all things, it's food that's adding to the stress. If his appetite had just faded that would be one thing - it's the complete not knowing what'll work, day by day, that's beginning to make me dread teatime.

I try to make the puddings protein rich. Coconut sugar is sweet and does not spike the blood sugar levels I have been told.

 

[Angela57]

I stopped worrying about mum eating a hot meal, following the same struggle as you are going through now. She is diabetic and difficult to stabilise, so sweet food was out of the question. I gave her finger food, a wide variety, but small amounts so that she wasn't overfaced. But it gave her choice and she just ate what she wanted, then if she wanted more of certain elements, she could have more. Not ideal, but I was relieved that she was eating.

 

[marionq]

If I put potatoes or chips and veg with meat on John's plate he will eat everything but struggle to eat the meat. He has his own teeth at 85 so it's not that. I now give him very small portions of meat. He does like rice but not pasta. Easy to swallow and tasty seems to be the answer. Soup is a top favourite. Meaty soup like ham or chicken with bits in plus a hunk of bread covers all he needs.

Yes, he loves puddings and ice cream. I buy ice cream cones and mini magnums for him and fill a freezer drawer. Grandchildren share them.

 

[Sirena]

I can partly understand this, because several years ago I had a serious head injury which resulted in me losing my sense of taste. To begin with the only thing I could taste was generalised 'sweetness'. Everything else tasted of 'nothing' so I was left only with the texture. After about 6 months my sense of taste started to return and that was the worst phase, because some food started to taste disgusting. Alcohol tasted like petrol, fish, meat and coffee tasted 'off', some veg tasted very bitter. PWDs seem to do this journey in reverse, and are left at the end only with the sense of sweetness. I could usually force myself to eat most things by telling myself there was nothing wrong with it, but of course a PWD doesn't have that insight.

I don't think you will be able to predict what he will like on any given day as it is probably an ongoing process. With something like the chicken in sauce, it could be an element of the sauce which now tastes unpleasant. My gran refused to eat a lot of her previous favourite foods but remained very keen on sweet soft foods - M&S rice pudding was very popular, I suppose it was bland yet sweet and a soothing texture. It might help to think in terms of sweet, bland, and see what textures he will now accept. As others have said, soup might be a good option - you could try soups with sweeter veg like carrots/peas/sweetcorn/sweet potato.

 

[lin1]

My mums taste changed too. I found that adding a goodly dash or two of ketchup to her puréed meals had her smacking her lips in delight. I think it was the sweetness she appreciated, she also went from no sugar in her tea to needing two heaped teaspoons

 

[Amelie5a]

Thank you for all the shared experience above - it's really helpful and I appreciate you taking time to reply. Sirena, thank you too, for an insight into what it feels like to lose taste. Your description matches a lot of what I've observed about Dad. I'm sure texture has got a part of play.

In the light of what happened at lunchtime today, I had to laugh though at the references to soup. It's always been something that Dad's enjoyed and I'd been thinking of getting all earth motherish this weekend - buying bones from the butcher and creating a healthy stock to form a base for home made soups.

And then......I heated up a ready-made soup for lunch today. Dad tells the carer who was in - without even looking at it, tasting it or even smelling it - that he doesn't like soup. Groan ... but he did tuck in to a smoked mackerel pate roll, followed by a yoghurt. (He has been somewhat up/down in recent weeks and I don't think he's feeling too well generally. No UTI but the GPs reckon a degree of heart failure.)

So I'm hoping he'll forget today's stated soup-avoidance and I'll try again in a few days.

But he has just eaten an ice-cream which he clearly enjoyed.

 

[SpanishAnnie]

Hello ! I’m the same with my 96 yr old FIL. One day he gushes over a dish and then a few days later he just take two mouthfuls and declares it tasteless. So frustrating especially when you fall on a dish they seem to love. Some days if I say his son is having ‘x’ my FIL will say Ok I’ll have a go at that, it’s the shared experience he does seem to enjoy, especially if we all sit at the table.
We went through a phase when he loved a dash of sweet chilli sauce on his cheese sandwiches or with his fish cakes and chips. It’s the sharper tastes they seem to like. We also try to memory meals, I would say oh we had a lovely meal at the coast last week, shall we have that for our lunch today. So we just try different things. Good luck you’ll find a winning combination of things that work !
p.s. I also batch cook and freeze all the things I know he’s loved, liver and onions, various stews and soups, mince and onions etc, so if he fancy those they are easily done