First post, so please be gentle. My Mum is 93, and has a vascular dementia diagnosis, but is still living in her own home, alone but with support from social services (two visits per day) and me. I live close by, but work full-time in a demanding job, and travel quite often. Her progress from diagnosis, about two years ago, has been slow but marked, and we're starting to have more practical problems to deal with. The one exercising me most (at the moment) is eating. My mum has always had a good appetite and healthy diet, but has, over the past few months, got increasingly addicted to certain foods.
Longest has been bagged lettuce - and not just any old lettuce - the fancy Florette stuff. She gets through a bag a day, but would eat (much) more if I supplied more. I've been tolerant of this, although keeping her in fresh lettuce has been challenging at times ;-).
Next-up has been white fish - fresh haddock for preference, and in a raw state so that she can fry it up fresh with fish-dressing. This is also hard to supply daily, fresh, but again I've managed. She's gone from twice or three times a week to wanting it twice a day (ie, every meal).
Finally and most recently, is cereal. She appears to like any children's cereal, and will happily eat an entire box over a 24 hour period. Bran flakes and alpen don't work, because she's dentally challenged. So now her diet consists of lettuce, white fish, and cereal. Plus large quantities of tea and assorted biscuits. I buy her lots of other foods, and sometimes she'll cook them - but won't ever eat more than a couple of mouthfuls, largely because she's full of lettuce, fish and cereal, I suppose! She's gradually stopped eating fresh fruit, cheese, eggs, and many of the other staples.
I'm conscious that she's alone for most of the day, and clearly gets pleasure from grazing on cereal and lettuce. If I was around, I might be able to encourage her to eat more, different, things - but I'm not there, except in the evenings, and mostly she's had her tea before I arrive, anyway.
Shall I let her be, on this odd mixture? She's happy and healthy on it, it would appear, and a normal weight. There are certainly more harmful addictions out there, and I'm tired of nagging her to eat things, and throwing away premium ready-meals scarcely eaten (although I've got dogs so there are always eager mouths to hoover up that yummy rejected chicken and beef).
Anyone else experience this kind of behaviour? Does it change or worsen, and is it easier just to give in?
Thanks in advance
Christine
Longest has been bagged lettuce - and not just any old lettuce - the fancy Florette stuff. She gets through a bag a day, but would eat (much) more if I supplied more. I've been tolerant of this, although keeping her in fresh lettuce has been challenging at times ;-).
Next-up has been white fish - fresh haddock for preference, and in a raw state so that she can fry it up fresh with fish-dressing. This is also hard to supply daily, fresh, but again I've managed. She's gone from twice or three times a week to wanting it twice a day (ie, every meal).
Finally and most recently, is cereal. She appears to like any children's cereal, and will happily eat an entire box over a 24 hour period. Bran flakes and alpen don't work, because she's dentally challenged. So now her diet consists of lettuce, white fish, and cereal. Plus large quantities of tea and assorted biscuits. I buy her lots of other foods, and sometimes she'll cook them - but won't ever eat more than a couple of mouthfuls, largely because she's full of lettuce, fish and cereal, I suppose! She's gradually stopped eating fresh fruit, cheese, eggs, and many of the other staples.
I'm conscious that she's alone for most of the day, and clearly gets pleasure from grazing on cereal and lettuce. If I was around, I might be able to encourage her to eat more, different, things - but I'm not there, except in the evenings, and mostly she's had her tea before I arrive, anyway.
Shall I let her be, on this odd mixture? She's happy and healthy on it, it would appear, and a normal weight. There are certainly more harmful addictions out there, and I'm tired of nagging her to eat things, and throwing away premium ready-meals scarcely eaten (although I've got dogs so there are always eager mouths to hoover up that yummy rejected chicken and beef).
Anyone else experience this kind of behaviour? Does it change or worsen, and is it easier just to give in?
Thanks in advance
Christine