Confused

[Wendy C]

Evening. Just interested to see if anyone else is in my position. As I have been posting in the last few weeks, since Mom has been off her medication, she is much brighter, aware, not sleepy. Its wonderful and she even waved at me today. Anyway when we got to the home this morning, the doctor was doing his rounds including seeing Mom. They are concerned about her weight loss. She is eating well and does not have any excercise as is now hoisted in and out of bed and chairs to wheelchair They did a fbc last month and it all come back negative. She has lost over a stone in the last 6 months and last month weighed 9 1/2 stone. She is still in a healthy mbi but if she looses the normal 4 or 5 lbs a month again over the next 2 months she will be under weight. The doc suggested that they could do tests to find out if anything is going on but that would mean a camera up and down. Between us we decided that is not possible due to the late stages Mom is in. He said they will monitor her over the next 2 months and if she still looses they will no longer monitor her and just let nature take its way. Has anyone else experienced weight loss like Mom and if so what happens please? Thank you

 

[Feline]

Evening. Just interested to see if anyone else is in my position. As I have been posting in the last few weeks, since Mom has been off her medication, she is much brighter, aware, not sleepy. Its wonderful and she even waved at me today. Anyway when we got to the home this morning, the doctor was doing his rounds including seeing Mom. They are concerned about her weight loss. She is eating well and does not have any excercise as is now hoisted in and out of bed and chairs to wheelchair They did a fbc last month and it all come back negative. She has lost over a stone in the last 6 months and last month weighed 9 1/2 stone. She is still in a healthy mbi but if she looses the normal 4 or 5 lbs a month again over the next 2 months she will be under weight. The doc suggested that they could do tests to find out if anything is going on but that would mean a camera up and down. Between us we decided that is not possible due to the late stages Mom is in. He said they will monitor her over the next 2 months and if she still looses they will no longer monitor her and just let nature take its way. Has anyone else experienced weight loss like Mom and if so what happens please? Thank you

Hi
Sorry touched pad by mistake just now. I noticed no one has responded yet, I have not had this experience with my husband since the early days when medication and constant activity made him lose weight, but I agree it may be better to let nature take its course. If she loses more weight , she will presumably become weaker so as long as she is kept comfortable and free of any pain that's the main thing. Someone else may come along with more advice, take care.

 

[Spamar]

When OH was in middle stages, some 4-5 years ago, he more or less stopped eating and went from ten and a half stone to seven stone in a fairly short time. Believe me I did everything I could to get him to eat more! And then some. He couldn't/wouldn't eat anything but very dark chocolate and fresh orange juice!
When I thought all was lost and starting to prepare myself for the inevitable, he decided (?) to eat again. Of course, his stomach could only take small amounts, but we got there. He's now just under 10 stone, or at least he as when he went into care.
The point of all this is weight loss may occur - I could never find out why he didn't eat- and they may recover from it. Nearer to end of life, I think they 'fade away', it's time. OH is off most meds now, so will see. I would assume your mother just might not feel hungry, it's one of the side effects of dementia.

 

[WIFE]

In many cases part of the slow progression of the illness I'm sorry to say. My husband went from a healthy 10 stone to well under 7 stone in under two years. He still ate quite well to begin with but his body - slowly being decimated by the dementia - did not assimilate nourishment from what food he would eat and so inevitably his weight dropped off until he was classified as suffering with malnutrition at a mere 5.5 stone.. There really is nothing you can do except encourage your Mum to eat as well as possible - but try not to worry too much - if it is nature taking its toll what will be will be. I am sure you have made the right decision not to have investigations done - the stress involved would not help your Mum's situation. Take it day by day - loving thoughts WIFE

P.S. Try to find the things she especially likes to eat - often my husband would have two puddings for lunch - and concentrate on those. I am sure the Care Home will accommodate her appetite.

 

[cragmaid]

My late Mum went into the CH weighing approx 11 stones, just shy of three years later when she died, she was weighing about 4.5 stones. This was despite home cooked food, Fortisip drinks, Complan, build up shakes, M&S Rice Pudding, Bacon Sarnies etc etc etc......
Because she was never still and fidgetted constantly she burned off everything she ate. As she got worse she ate less....a good meal might have been two squares of bacon sarnie or a scrambled egg. Even on her death bed she was waving her arms and legs about non stop. Tap dancing while asleep!!!!

She had cancer...not painful but covered in fatty melanomas..I used to joke with her that her cysts were bigger than her boobs...she used to smile and say Dad said she had two backs!!!
I think that weight loss seems to be a general symptom with most of the AZ/Dem residents in her home.....shame I couldn't copy them and shift some of my own excess baggage!!

 

[patsy56]

OH is also losing weight, I would say more body fat, but the Parkinson's affects the swallowing we try everything, custards and tinned rice good as are mince and tatties but as long as he doesn't lose too much I am happy.

 

[Wendy C]

Hi all. Mom this month put on 0.6 kilos which is not much, but did not lose, so that is good news for us. Saying that the last two visits, Mom as been sleepy again, and looks lost. We have had some very good visits with Mom being quite bright. Just shows how this illness is a rollercoaster. xx

 

[Equitimer]

Liquid Diet

I was very surprised by the advice given by our local hospital re weight loss, who regularly visit and monitor her progress. In spite of her vascular dementia, they recommended making her coffee with whole milk & sugar topped up with 2cm of double cream. Three years on, she's on three mugs a day (and 1x smooth milky desert - eg panacotta/creme brulee) and she's actually put a little weight back on. FYI, that's 1.8 litres of double cream a week!

'Longer' term I'm sure it's doing her no good, but aged 93.....................?