Lost appitite

[freefairy]

Hi all

Has anyone else in this 'hell hole' (sorry that's the only way i can describe it at the moment) come across a great loss of appitite by the person with AD?

Dad's refusing any food mum has prepared for him, with not having food it isn't helping his constant chest infections he is having.

A wonderful lady from our local AD society said it wasn't very common so wondered if anyone here has had a similar experience and can give us any suggestions.

Thank you

Sheryl x

 

[mandyp]

Hi

My Gran, who sadly passed away a few years ago had Alzheimers, although she died before it became anything major (basically just short term memory loss).

Anyway, when she got ill (even just a wee cold) she would refuse point blank to eat....I'm not sure if that was anything to do with the AD, or just because she didn't feel well. At the time we thought it was the AD because she liked her food at any other time. After a period of being ill for a long time (she'd been in hospital and had a major operation), she had, kind of, got out of the habit of eating. She lost a lot of weight (and my Gran wouldn't thank me for this, but she was a big lady!) She dropped to 7stone in weight and was sent home from hospital. It was a very worrying time for us, she got prescribed a drink which I thought looked vile, but she did drink it. I'm sure it was called 'Complan' and it was a drink that made her gain weight, this may be worth looking into.

After a while she did spring back, but never did have a healthy diet....she would eat dinner, but sweats and cakes were the main thing!

HTH

Mandy

 

[Brucie]

Hi Sheryl

yes, it does happen. My wife Jan gradually ate less and less as she became more advanced in her illness when at home. Because we always shared our food 50/50, I also ended up eating the same small amounts [one gets so involved in the day to day caring one doesn't notice] and lost nearly 2 stones, which I have never put back on.

When Jan first went to her care home she was very very light around 5 stones, painfully thin. With changes of medication and 24 hour 1-to-1 care, she now eats like a horse and looks perfectly normal.

In my experience, I have known oher Alzheimer's patients who have eaten less and less food, so it is not uncommon.

 

[Chesca]

Hi Sheryl

Of course it's a hell hole. Bruce's address, if you haven't noticed, is a place in Hampshire called Hell. He worked very hard to arrive at this unhappy place. Isn't there an old saying: feed a cold, starve a fever? Sufferers of either, in my experience want the opposite: they can't eat when they have a 'cold' (for that read 'any infection relating to colds and flu') and want all of the wrong things to alleviate a fever. Or is that just me? I remember Complan, it is used as a food supplement for recovering patients where the appetite is low.

We're having a little trouble with Mum's eating habits at the moment despite our best efforts. Dad, who has been stoical and such a revelation through this has taken to making very small sandwhiches of good things ( I mean 'small', about half inch square and perfectly beautiful to look at. I thought I had cracked 'small' when I got her to eat but anything I can do, bet you're sweet butt, he'll do it better!). He feeds them to her with a small fork, gently, and she seems to enjoy them We had a laugh this afternoon when I said that my 'small' sandwiches fall apart sometimes. His don't. Precision, he said, he used a ruler! I almost believed him.

We follow this with something sweet, some fresh fruit in jelly (sometimes, if it is oranges I throw some liquor in, Campari or whatever). It helps quench thirst much more than a drink or chocolate (with the added advantage of less toilet trauma) and she enjoys it very much. Heard to say 'delicious'. Now, that's a celebration! There are so many sweeteners available that it's very possible to replicate anything these days in order to please the sweet tooth but keep down the 'sugar' levels.

Recipe sheets available on demand - as long as you're not too fussy!!

Best wishes
Chesca

 

[Sheila]

Hi Sheryl, your GP can prescribe fortified foods, (bit like a mousse) and drinks, lots of flavours. Just explain the problem and request some thats what I did. You could also try baby foods, Mum loved some of those when she got really poorly. Love She. XX

 

[Norman]

Sheryl
is there a dietician on your consultants team?
If there is it might be worth talking to her/him
Regards
Norman

 

[freefairy]

Thank You Everyone

I will speak to mum and see what we can do to help dad get a bit of appitite back

I will keep you posted

Take care All

Sheryl x

 

[angela.robinson]

hi sheryl
my husband,Jim ,has also lost his appitite,since his downturn ,6 month ago. He had gained a lot of weight since he gave up work,7 years since ,so i was not to worried about him eating less,but he now refuses to wear his dentures ,that has added to the problem,i make sure his meals are nutritious,and every thing is blended ,separatly,but he is only eating a third of it ,he likes a bit of chocolate and can manage a few mini jaffa cakes but i keep these till evenings.the big problem is that i keep finishing things off ,so what he is losing i am gaining.i may try the complan later but if he doese not like it ,there is no way he will take it
ANGELA

 

[freefairy]

Hi Angela

It's funny you mention Jim has lost his dentures, Mick, my dad lost his too, mum found the top set but his gums have receded so much that they fall out when mum puts them in, dad also shouts 'what ya doing?' when she tries to put them in. It's great to hear him say something clearly as he's lost most of his vocabulary, he mainly mumbles now, another thing he comes out with is..... 'OH bloody hell' it's quite funny in the situations that he gets himself in, it also brings a light hearted moment as he's usually laughing when he says it.

Dad likes mini choc chip muffins which is great that something goes down, even if it isn't very nutritional.

Take care
Sheryl x

 

[angela.robinson]

hi sheryl
yes it is lovely to hear just one sentence ,that makes sense in the mddle of the babble ,one of jim,s is ,it,s bloody marvelouse,usually with a chuckle .As he does not like to watch t.v now ,as it has become too real,iam trying to play more C.D,s and if he is in a good mood he will sing songs to me ,there is only a few words that make sense ,usually( AND I LOVE YOU)when he has finished the babble ,he says ,very clearly,THERE YOU GO) these moments are priceless.
angela.