My dad is in the moderate stage of dementia and we are finding it really hard to get him to eat. As expected his tastes have completly changed and foods he used to love he now won't eat. He seems to be eating less as time goes on, does anyone have tips on getting him to eat more
Deb22
- Thread starter deb22
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Hi Deb22
I too have this problem and I do small portions and finger foods, sandwiches, quiches cake. Mum's taste has changed, she now has sugar in her tea and loves desserts. Try stopping her with meringue, strawberries and cream. She also needs softer foods and I'm finding that I have to feed her her main meal. I've just given her a couscous salad with small pieces of barbeque chicken which she ate well. For Mum it has to be quite tasty food and little and often. I'm sure that other TPes will be along with other ideas for you.
Jude
I too have this problem and I do small portions and finger foods, sandwiches, quiches cake. Mum's taste has changed, she now has sugar in her tea and loves desserts. Try stopping her with meringue, strawberries and cream. She also needs softer foods and I'm finding that I have to feed her her main meal. I've just given her a couscous salad with small pieces of barbeque chicken which she ate well. For Mum it has to be quite tasty food and little and often. I'm sure that other TPes will be along with other ideas for you.
Jude
My husband is eating less and less. Some of it is due to the fact his teeth are falling out and he can't chew the same, so food becomes difficult. Could this be part of the problem.
I now casserole all the meat and only serve up small portions. He still leaves some of that too.
He eats about two dessertspoons of shepherds pie and about 8 peas if I am lucky. That is his amount.
There is a tablet normally given for depression which has the side effect of increasing the appetite, when my husband went downhill after an op 5 years ago the consultant put him on that for a few months and it worked. He was down to 8 st and he went back up to 11 st.
I think the whole body just ****s down, and now I just accept that he eats less.
Jeannette
I now casserole all the meat and only serve up small portions. He still leaves some of that too.
He eats about two dessertspoons of shepherds pie and about 8 peas if I am lucky. That is his amount.
There is a tablet normally given for depression which has the side effect of increasing the appetite, when my husband went downhill after an op 5 years ago the consultant put him on that for a few months and it worked. He was down to 8 st and he went back up to 11 st.
I think the whole body just ****s down, and now I just accept that he eats less.
Jeannette
With my husband there also has been a change in what he likes. He now drinks coffee but only with added sugar and is quite keen on sweet things and desserts which he previously did not like. Also he seems to not like more chewy and lumpy things. He used always to like crusty wholemeal bread. This was increasingly left so I tried softer wholemeal bread and now he also seems to not want the crusts so we are now on crustless white which is currently acceptable. He likes yoghurt, ice cream ( especially mini magnums) and when all else fails I can usually tempt him with crisps and jaffa cakes which is hardly healthy eating but at least is something. I also find the toddler ready meals always get eaten and I can add some extra veg such as peas or broccoli. He finds it easier to eat with a spoon. Today we are having roast chicken with roast potatoes and vegetables. He still likes a home cooked roast. Yesterday he had roast lamb but I give him a smaller amount ( about half a normal portion) and present it cut into small pieces which he can manage with a spoon. If he sees a large portion of anything he seems to get overwhelmed by it and will eat hardly anything.
It can be very difficult in that some thing which he eats OK one day he will not touch the next. When they ask him if he likes certain foods at the day care he often says no to something I know he likes but they now know what he will mostly eat. Drinking can be a real problem-I am always having to prompt him to drink and he generally will only drink half a cup of anything.
Good luck,
Tre
It can be very difficult in that some thing which he eats OK one day he will not touch the next. When they ask him if he likes certain foods at the day care he often says no to something I know he likes but they now know what he will mostly eat. Drinking can be a real problem-I am always having to prompt him to drink and he generally will only drink half a cup of anything.
Good luck,
Tre
Hi - I too am having the same problems and find that "tasty" foods work best, so add spices to savoury dishes and make desserts sweeter than usual. I also add tomato ketcup to some things as that seems to help. I have to chop everything up into very small pieces and he now eats with a teaspoon - if it's anything larger he puts too much in his mouth then cannot chew it and is inclined to choke. He would never eat or drink anything if I did not actually put it in front of him and also chokes on his drink so I have to hold the cup all the time. It has also got to the stage where sometimes I have to feed him, especially for the last few mouthfuls. Sox
Sad and tears
Just read your thread.
I know that my father will also go down this road,
just reading the tread about different way to get them to eat
it's like getting a child to eat, which is what they will become,
can't help but cry
as my dad love's his food,
wish this disease would just stop and go away
but i know deep down that it has a duty to to take everything from our loved one's
sorry to detract from original tread,
but can't stop my tears
good luck with you dad deb22
hope you will find some way to help your dad with his food,
Just read your thread.
I know that my father will also go down this road,
just reading the tread about different way to get them to eat
it's like getting a child to eat, which is what they will become,
can't help but cry
as my dad love's his food,
wish this disease would just stop and go away
but i know deep down that it has a duty to to take everything from our loved one's
sorry to detract from original tread,
but can't stop my tears
good luck with you dad deb22
hope you will find some way to help your dad with his food,
Hugs IMSOSAD, I know it is very hard to adjust to how this disease changes our loved ones.
My mum used to be vegetarian and now relishes her roast beef, ham, chicken etc. I am vegan myself so this has been some adjustment. I visit once or twice a month and find myself handling meat, cooking salmon, things I didn't think I would ever do, but hey ho it's all part of this isn't it?
At first it surprised me that she had forgotten she was vegetarian but now I'm used to it.
Like others here too her sweet tooth is on the increase and she now eats a lot of cake and biscuits - also anything that is easiest for her to grab and eat with fingers from fridge is favoured.
My mum used to be vegetarian and now relishes her roast beef, ham, chicken etc. I am vegan myself so this has been some adjustment. I visit once or twice a month and find myself handling meat, cooking salmon, things I didn't think I would ever do, but hey ho it's all part of this isn't it?
At first it surprised me that she had forgotten she was vegetarian but now I'm used to it.
Like others here too her sweet tooth is on the increase and she now eats a lot of cake and biscuits - also anything that is easiest for her to grab and eat with fingers from fridge is favoured.
I just stick to what my mother will eat now.. so much food was just left or thrown away..so it is syrup microwave porridge for breakfast...cheese slices and bread etc always on hand..puddings and rice puddings in the fridge..small cakes aplenty and mini bananas and for some reason she loves hot chocolate....she has two huge tins every week and 20 pints of milk (5 of the four pinters) each week!! and she gets through the lot!!!! also frozen omlettes that do in the microwave in 3 minutes are great to load up in the freezer. ...this is all she eats....on and off but the hot chocolate is constant!! I do get the odd quiche for her but I know she shares this with her favourite carer..and that doesn't worry me
re food
I went to a course on eating problems with children and they said that you should eat portions that are the size of your palm, so it gets bigger as you get older then starts getting smaller again as you get older still.
My dad eats little and often and as long as anything isn't to chewy that takes alot of effort he seems ok although we have stopped going out to restaurants as he has complained in so many that we don't feel we can go back again
he doesn't like it that restaurants don't cook their vegetables enough!!!!
I do look at the size of his palm and I must admit it seems to be about right for a portion of what he eats. If not try protein shakes or plain Complan in meat/mince gray that sort of thing. or add it to a coffee makes it very thick and creamy.
Even slimfast shakes as extra meals not as substitutes will give those extra calories that you need.
good luck
I went to a course on eating problems with children and they said that you should eat portions that are the size of your palm, so it gets bigger as you get older then starts getting smaller again as you get older still.
My dad eats little and often and as long as anything isn't to chewy that takes alot of effort he seems ok although we have stopped going out to restaurants as he has complained in so many that we don't feel we can go back again
he doesn't like it that restaurants don't cook their vegetables enough!!!!I do look at the size of his palm and I must admit it seems to be about right for a portion of what he eats. If not try protein shakes or plain Complan in meat/mince gray that sort of thing. or add it to a coffee makes it very thick and creamy.
Even slimfast shakes as extra meals not as substitutes will give those extra calories that you need.
good luck
