New to the situation and looking for eating advice?
- Thread starter loolieboo1410
- Start date
Try just leaving finger food by her, she maybe better grazing that eating normal meals.
My (now late) mother rarely ate a 'proper' meal but consumed quite a lot this way.
Obviously be careful what you pick to leave, but most foods will quite happily sit on a plate by a person for some hours before they become unfit to eat.
Make a sandwich with a soft filling with just one slice of bread, cut the crust off and cut into 6 mouth sized pieces.
a few cheese cubes?
Some soft fruit, just ready to pop in
KitKat fingers always went first!!
You will soon see if she eats anything/what she chooses, left to her own devices
My (now late) mother rarely ate a 'proper' meal but consumed quite a lot this way.
Obviously be careful what you pick to leave, but most foods will quite happily sit on a plate by a person for some hours before they become unfit to eat.
Make a sandwich with a soft filling with just one slice of bread, cut the crust off and cut into 6 mouth sized pieces.
a few cheese cubes?
Some soft fruit, just ready to pop in
KitKat fingers always went first!!
You will soon see if she eats anything/what she chooses, left to her own devices
Hello @loolieboo1410, welcome to TP, you will find this a friendly, informative and supportive place.
It is not unusual for a hospital visit to cause a downturn in dementia but often there will be a rebound as the person recovers.
@Jessbow has given good advice about food. The sense of taste can go with dementia but bitter and sweet are often the last facets to go so it may help to concentrate there. Even some fortified milkshake type sweet drink.
Do have a good look around the site and feel free to ask any questions or just get a load off your mind at any time as there will usually be someone around to interact with you
It is not unusual for a hospital visit to cause a downturn in dementia but often there will be a rebound as the person recovers.
@Jessbow has given good advice about food. The sense of taste can go with dementia but bitter and sweet are often the last facets to go so it may help to concentrate there. Even some fortified milkshake type sweet drink.
Do have a good look around the site and feel free to ask any questions or just get a load off your mind at any time as there will usually be someone around to interact with you
Your mother may have suffered from delirium in hospital which isn't uncommon when in a strange environment and somewhat poorly. This could last a while longer but if you're concerned, get the doctor out and check for any lingering infection, and regarding the eating issues, you could get an assessment and advice from the SALT team who are speech and language therapists that also deal with eating, drinking and swallowing in dementia patients. They could for example prescribe food and drink that's fortified with more calories and vitamins so your mother does not lose too much weight.
Don't struggle with this on your own, get help. A GP can refer to SALT.
Don't struggle with this on your own, get help. A GP can refer to SALT.
I can sympathise as my mother also went off her food when in hospital. I agree with what Beate says about the delirium and also the speech therapist assessment for her swallowing. If she's eating carrots then maybe it's not that but if she's spitting out bits and preferring soft food then it's worth trying her on a softer diet.
In my case my mother was put on thick pureed food (texture C) and liquids only whilst in hospital - and no bread. She hardly ate anything for a month when in there and I was worried sick. (Before she went in it was true that she spat out anything lumpy.) Now she's home it's a challenge but the pureed food diet is beginning to take shape slowly and her diet is probably more varied now than before. You could make thick pureed soups and add lots of butter, cheese and/or cream. Or make a creamy sauce for meats or fish. If she prefers sweet things then try lots of full fat desserts/custards and maybe ice cream. I've been told you can puree just about anything; I also find google a great source of inspiration for recipes ...
You could also get a dentist to check if there is a problem with her teeth or gums. I didn't realise there was a community dentist until recently - they came out quite quickly and did a tooth repair for mum at home.
If you think it might be a swallowing issue then look up 'dysphagia'.
I hope this all clears up and your mother-in-law regains her interest in eating again very soon.
In my case my mother was put on thick pureed food (texture C) and liquids only whilst in hospital - and no bread. She hardly ate anything for a month when in there and I was worried sick. (Before she went in it was true that she spat out anything lumpy.) Now she's home it's a challenge but the pureed food diet is beginning to take shape slowly and her diet is probably more varied now than before. You could make thick pureed soups and add lots of butter, cheese and/or cream. Or make a creamy sauce for meats or fish. If she prefers sweet things then try lots of full fat desserts/custards and maybe ice cream. I've been told you can puree just about anything; I also find google a great source of inspiration for recipes ...
You could also get a dentist to check if there is a problem with her teeth or gums. I didn't realise there was a community dentist until recently - they came out quite quickly and did a tooth repair for mum at home.
If you think it might be a swallowing issue then look up 'dysphagia'.
I hope this all clears up and your mother-in-law regains her interest in eating again very soon.
