Hello I’m new to the site, My 92 yr old dad has recently been diagnosed with mild/moderate dementia by the gp, he lives alone doesn’t want any outside help (except me). He manages day to day, his short term memory is shot but long term amazing, he’s happiest in his home but noticed lately his eating habits have changed, he only wants to eat cup a soups, says it’s easy & he enjoys them! I’ve suggested having meals delivered but again he’s not interested, should I be worried?
Cup a soup!
- Thread starter 1606mel
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Welcome to the forum @1606mel
My dad loved cup a soup too. I’m sure partly because it is so easy to prepare. I used to persuade him to have a sandwich too and a fruit pie. Do you think your dad would eat these things if they were left out for him?
Basically my dad just prefered finger food as it started to get harder for him to use cutlery so anything in a mug was ok and any buffet food. He also loved pizza so I’d add extra veg to that for him.
My dad loved cup a soup too. I’m sure partly because it is so easy to prepare. I used to persuade him to have a sandwich too and a fruit pie. Do you think your dad would eat these things if they were left out for him?
Basically my dad just prefered finger food as it started to get harder for him to use cutlery so anything in a mug was ok and any buffet food. He also loved pizza so I’d add extra veg to that for him.
Thank you, Unfortunately due to work commitments I can’t get round every day for tea time & see him twice a week, when I do go I’ll take a sandwich or a microwave meal (he’s frightened to use the microwave now) and church take him out once a week so he’s getting a little bit of variety, I buy lots of different snacks things, bread, cereal crackers etc that he used to enjoy but I don’t know if he can’t be bothered or it’s part of the dementia that he’s just sticking to one food, he has high blood pressure & I do worry a bit about the high salt content but it doesn’t bother him!
When my dad was asked if he needed help he’d always say “No. my daughter looks after me very well.” But I couldn’t always be there for him so I arranged for “a friend of mine” to pop in at around lunchtime and make sure he’d taken his meds and make him a sandwich for lunch or something else quick. TBH my dad had far too much salt in his diet but I thought it more important that he enjoyed his last few years..
Have you considered arranging carers for your dad? I told mine his first carer was a friend of mine looking for a job as a “Home help” which he accepted so I soon introduced more as he needed them. I thought my dad would reject them but he actually enjoyed their visits and they looked after him very well when I couldn’t be there.
My main concern with eating cup a soup, apart from the salt, is that they don’t have many calories. Is your dad losing a lot of weight?
I think a poor diet and lack of understanding of nutrition is part and parcel of dementia. It must be very difficult when you can’t be there as much as you’d like to.
Have you considered arranging carers for your dad? I told mine his first carer was a friend of mine looking for a job as a “Home help” which he accepted so I soon introduced more as he needed them. I thought my dad would reject them but he actually enjoyed their visits and they looked after him very well when I couldn’t be there.
My main concern with eating cup a soup, apart from the salt, is that they don’t have many calories. Is your dad losing a lot of weight?
I think a poor diet and lack of understanding of nutrition is part and parcel of dementia. It must be very difficult when you can’t be there as much as you’d like to.
I still work part-time. I tried having all kinds of finger foods, snacks and easy healthy things for my husband to eat while I was at work. When I would get home the only thing that would be eaten were sweets. I started making lunches for my husband. I would put it in a bag with his name on it and leave a note on the table to eat lunch. So far the lunches have been eaten when I get home. I don’t know if it would work for your dad but you might try bringing him a hot meal when you visit and make up two bags of meals for the next day. He might eat them if you put “Dad - lunch or Dad - dinner” on them. My husband is either unwilling or unable to use the microwave so the meals I pack have to be cold. I figure at least he’s eating something besides sweets.
I know this won’t take care of everyday but if he’s willing to eat the meals you make for up him he’ll get a little more variety in his diet.
You talked about having meals delivered to your dad. Your dad may be better about eating than my husband but I know if I had a meal delivered to my husband he would tell me the meal was great and he really enjoyed it and then I would find it in the refrigerator uneaten and untouched.
I know this won’t take care of everyday but if he’s willing to eat the meals you make for up him he’ll get a little more variety in his diet.
You talked about having meals delivered to your dad. Your dad may be better about eating than my husband but I know if I had a meal delivered to my husband he would tell me the meal was great and he really enjoyed it and then I would find it in the refrigerator uneaten and untouched.
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That’s definitely a idea to consider with regard a carer, he’s adamant he doesn’t want any help but I think some of that stems from when someone used to visit his sister and my dad was convinced she was stealing, jewellery & money went missing so he’d need to trust them, also he is fiercely holding onto his independence, was only a month ago after having a fall that any health professionals got involved with him & gp made him stop driving (also just recently had a pacemaker & diagnosed with cataracts) , he’s also EXTREMELY tight with money, He has plenty but won’t spend it & pleads poverty most the time 🙈, I think he would enjoy the company too, IF it was the right company, he’s a very intelligent & shrewd man. No he’s not lost any weight thankfully!
