help, we can't get mum to eat

[Jess26]

Mum has been seen by OH and SS and they are in the process of organising a care package. She has also had a preliminary assesment by the memory clinic, and has signed the forms agreeing to futher investigations.

The problem we (brother and I) have at the moment is we just can't get her to eat. She is drug controlled diabetic. As many of you will know these drugs should be taken with food.
Despite trying to tempt mum with all the things she likes, she is hardly eating anything. When she does decide she wants something, she will only have one or two mouthfulls

Her food intake for the past couple of days has been:

Yesterday
a couple of spoons of cereal

3-4 biscuits

3-4 spoons of tomato soup

Today
couple spoons of cereal

a few pringles

1/4 of individual pork pie

Any ideas anyone ??

 

[Christin]

Hello, we have experienced this and I agree it is very worrying. Usually not eating coincided with some form of infection, even a cold, sore throat, mouth ulcers, ear infection. Sometimes ill fitting teeth can cause problems. Is it possible she has some form of infection? We always called our GP just to check FIL over, to rule things out.

Hope things improve for you soon x

 

[Purrdy]

Food Horrible Food!

Hi there, Sorry I don't have any suggestions but I wanted you to know you're not on your own. My mum doesn't eat either,the most she has is a piece of bread and thats only if it was brought that day, which means I'm buying fresh bread every day. The birds love it I do cook a roast for her on Sunday's (I don't ask her if she's wants it) I put it on a (small) side plate and leave the room for half hour, when I return its all gone. Its worked for 3 weeks on the trot now

Keep trying or perhaps try food drinks? Good Luck

 

[together]

When Mum was not eating/being fed in hospital i took in the Frij milkshakes and she lapped them up. I was terrified she'd be sick all over the bed as they're so sweet and rich! (I know I couldn't drink as much as she did!) Suddenly she was only interested in sweet things after previously having had a fairly balanced diet. Hope you find something she likes, Katherine x

 

[Karenbun]

My mum is also eating very little. She has Parkinsons with dementia and the Parkinsons Society says this is quite usual with people with dementia. Doesn't help you as a family with the stress of it though. She has probably lived off Ensure drinks for two years. That and lots of chocolate ! We could have shares in a chocolate factory. Just keep offering her lots of different things, you know what your Mum likes and probably just try and leave different things accessible without trying to make her eat things. The Ensure drinks should be available on precription if she isn't eating or you can order them on-line. They are flavoured similar to the Frijj drinks but very high in nutrition. Good luck.

 

[LadyA]

When my husband decided he wasn't going to eat for two weeks(!) I persuaded him that soup (oodles of veg and potato, whizzed in liquidizer) wasn't food, it was liquid, and also that smoothies weren't food either - they were drinks. And I even persuaded him that sloppy scrambled egg was actually more like a liquid than a food, so he had that too! Hot chocolate. Horlicks. The rusks are a good idea too - rusks in hot milk! Yogurt. Stuff like that. I think tiny amounts as often as possible is the way to go.

 

[Pacucho]

Make food colourful and not too much

Hi

I have experienced the problems of not eating with my mum.

A couple of tips that have helped me are as follows.

First, try and ensure the food served is colourful. For example, my mum's breakfast consists of banana, pear, grapes, strawberries, etc.

Second, make sure the meals are kept to small portions (i.e. little and often). Also, you can serve the meals on an oversize plate making it appear to look smaller than it is.

Hope this helps

Paco