How to get Mom to eat?

[Patrick242]

My 83-year-old mother with Alzheimer's is healthy -- at least according to the battery of blood test results last week that were perfectly normal. But if left to her own devices, she would eat nothing. Her physician had no advice about this beyond suggesting an antidepressant. I've taken to bringing her small amounts -- a spoonful of soup, a bite of toast -- at forty-minute intervals in a desperate attempt to keep her from starving, but she often refuses. But this has been going on so long that she's getting progressively weaker, and I don't know what to do. My next step is to seek out another physician for another opinion. Any other suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Patrick

 

[Ohso]

My mum complained everything tasted like cardboard and developed an incredibly sweet tooth so l worked with that, and for a while she lived on cakes and soft bake belvitta to get mum eating.
Gradually as she ate more l guess she got her appetite back and could physically eat more so now she is about 50/50 savoury and sweet..l make lots of home make soups etc and buy puddings from Wiltshire Farms and as long as she doesnt see the pudding first she eats pretty well
You seem to be doing well with little and often too. Xx

 

[TNJJ]

Hi.My dads appetite has been variable for various reasons.I always cook homemade food and puddings.I find if I bring him to the dining room in a wheelchair and sit and eat with him at the table it improves.I eat with him.Also the doctor up his antidepressants as he was depressed.He has vd and diabetes and is immobile.

 

[Jessbow]

I used to leave 'finger food' Much as Mum always said no to meals , she would graze on whatever I left.
Make it tiny portions- a quarter of a sandwich, 2 squares of chocolate, 3 or 4 cut grapes, a fairy cake cut into quarters.


All she had to do was pick it up and put it in her mouth. I could get a fair few calories in her that way.

 

[nellbelles]

@Patrick242 welcome to DPT
When I had dealings with a nutritionist I was told sometimes any calories can sometimes be good calories so long as you supplement with something like complan or something similar to ensure vitamins and minerals