Help ----- Dad acting crazy

[cheryl k]

Help

I just got a call from Dad's nurse at the assisted living facility where he lives. At lunch today Dad took the food on his plate dumped all of it on the table, poured his coffee on the food, proceeded to mix it together and then proceeded to put back on his plate tried to eat the food. The nurses have ordered a urine test to check for a UTI. Has anyone had this happen with a loved one. Do you think this is a UTI or the alzheimer's proceeding to the next stage. Any suggestions would sure help.

Thanks

Cheryl

 

[Tigers15]

Help

I just got a call from Dad's nurse at the assisted living facility where he lives. At lunch today Dad took the food on his plate dumped all of it on the table, poured his coffee on the food, proceeded to mix it together and then proceeded to put back on his plate tried to eat the food. The nurses have ordered a urine test to check for a UTI. Has anyone had this happen with a loved one. Do you think this is a UTI or the alzheimer's proceeding to the next stage. Any suggestions would sure help.

Thanks

Cheryl

Unfortunately it is hard to tell the difference between dementia stuff and other medical issues. The staff need to do a urine test anyway. They should be always checking vital signs. No further advise, but sorry for your situation.

 

[rajahh]

The only other reference to that kind of behaviour was another members mother. Big Effort often described her mother mixing foods up Inappropriately and eating it.

She found this very distressing. I do not think it was down to Uti. In her case. But I am glad a test is being done for your father. Very often bizarre behaviour is down to Uti.

 

[LYN T]

Hi

My husband has to be constantly supervised at mealtimes or otherwise he will pour his water/juice over his food and eat it. Pete has been doing this for some time, assumed its down to his AD.

Take care Lyn T

 

[sistermillicent]

My mum used to do this . It seemed to have no rhyme or reason and came and went. If she gets a UTI it manifests as falling over a lot. But i think everyone is different. You may find he simply doesn't repeat this for a while and then randomly does it again in a few weeks.
Staff have done the right thing in testing for Uti

 

[cheryl k]

Thanks everybody for your good advice. I spoke to the administrator and the home will evaluate Dad, take any necessary tests to rule out any health issue or if this the alzheimer's advancing. Will have any answer by mONDAY HOPEFULLU. tHANKS AGAIN

cHERYL

 

[Mamsgirl]

Hi Cheryl,

For a year I filled in for a friend who cooks at a supported residential service. Became very attached to the 26 residents who had mainly drug and alcohol related ABI, but some early-mid stage dementia. Didn't ever see what your Dad did, but let me tell you that won't be the strangest thing the staff have seen at mealtimes by a long shot!

Tastes do often change with dementia, preference for sweet food, smoother consistency etc. My guess? Your Dad was attempting to make the meal more palatable by altering the texture. If he's on meds that dry the mouth it may well have needed extra sauce or gravy for your dad to be comfortable chewing and swallowing it.

I'm an archivist who likes to cook, so researching resident's seemingly bizarre food behaviours was easy enough. In that year we tweaked everyone's food delivery with very gratifying results (one woman who weighed 35 kilos and dropping was a healthy weight three years later).

If a UTI isn't the culprit, perhaps the CH could experiment with texture modification to see if it helps.

Good luck!

 

[cheryl k]

Hi Cheryl,

For a year I filled in for a friend who cooks at a supported residential service. Became very attached to the 26 residents who had mainly drug and alcohol related ABI, but some early-mid stage dementia. Didn't ever see what your Dad did, but let me tell you that won't be the strangest thing the staff have seen at mealtimes by a long shot!

Tastes do often change with dementia, preference for sweet food, smoother consistency etc. My guess? Your Dad was attempting to make the meal more palatable by altering the texture. If he's on meds that dry the mouth it may well have needed extra sauce or gravy for your dad to be comfortable chewing and swallowing it.

I'm an archivist who likes to cook, so researching resident's seemingly bizarre food behaviours was easy enough. In that year we tweaked everyone's food delivery with very gratifying results (one woman who weighed 35 kilos and dropping was a healthy weight three years later).

If a UTI isn't the culprit, perhaps the CH could experiment with texture modification to see if it helps.

Good luck!

Hi Toni

Thanks so much for your insight into Dad's situation. That certainly makes sense to me to help rationalize what my Dad was thinking. I will follow-up on the food Dad is eating.

The results came back and it is not a UTI. The assisted living facility will be monitoring Dad and any further incidents. The administrator will be letting me know when they have a oprning in the Memory Care Unit and then we will see how Dad is doing.

Take care

Cheryl