I have been worried about my husbands memory and personality changes for several years - he had a heamatoma 3 years ago. GP invited him in for a short memory test which was carried out by a Healthcare Assistant not nurse. Very simple questions - date counting backwards and one question was to remember a name and address - he got everything right apart from this. It now seems as if they do not want to take this any further.
However, I am still very worried. To give you an idea his weight is around 8st, loss of 3st since last summer, and he is very anaemic. We have been put in contact with a dietician who has been great but it is only phone consultations. He is on the Fortisip 2x a day but has been buying it on ebay and some days has up to 6 or 7! This is causing digestive problems as he is eating very little else. He has lupus and psoriasis/ gout/ acid reflux. Scans seem to have ruled out internal bleeding. His treatment for the psoriasis has been stopped due to the loss of kidney function but we are seeing specialist on Friday.
Could the loss of appetite be down to dementia? He has yet another UTI now as well. He is very deaf and very hard to communicate with. I try to encourage him to eat healthily but he just won't and I find the Fortisip bottles hidden behind the cushions when I get up in the morning - he sleeps downstairs. I cannot easily monitor him as he gets quite abusive when challenged and at least the drinks mean he is having something.....just do not know what to do. I guess if he has Mental Capacity there is nothing I can do to 'make' him eat? I have tried the dietician's suggestions of raisons nuts and things he can nibble on. He is 77.
It is not easy for me to see his GP alone and not sure they would talk to me anyway. I am his carer but feeling very out of my depth.
Just wondered if this loss of appetite has been experienced by others in my position and how they dealt with it?
However, I am still very worried. To give you an idea his weight is around 8st, loss of 3st since last summer, and he is very anaemic. We have been put in contact with a dietician who has been great but it is only phone consultations. He is on the Fortisip 2x a day but has been buying it on ebay and some days has up to 6 or 7! This is causing digestive problems as he is eating very little else. He has lupus and psoriasis/ gout/ acid reflux. Scans seem to have ruled out internal bleeding. His treatment for the psoriasis has been stopped due to the loss of kidney function but we are seeing specialist on Friday.
Could the loss of appetite be down to dementia? He has yet another UTI now as well. He is very deaf and very hard to communicate with. I try to encourage him to eat healthily but he just won't and I find the Fortisip bottles hidden behind the cushions when I get up in the morning - he sleeps downstairs. I cannot easily monitor him as he gets quite abusive when challenged and at least the drinks mean he is having something.....just do not know what to do. I guess if he has Mental Capacity there is nothing I can do to 'make' him eat? I have tried the dietician's suggestions of raisons nuts and things he can nibble on. He is 77.
It is not easy for me to see his GP alone and not sure they would talk to me anyway. I am his carer but feeling very out of my depth.
Just wondered if this loss of appetite has been experienced by others in my position and how they dealt with it?