'Overeating'

[Violet Jane]

I support an elderly friend. She is given plenty to eat but often says that she is hungry. This has resulted in her getting up at night to find things to eat, which wakes the live-in carer. Bedtimes and night-time waking are persistent problems which are jeopardising the care package. She has gained so much weight that I have had to buy her larger clothes. She is quite a well-built lady anyway and I'm concerned that the heavier she gets the harder it will be for her carer to take her out in her wheelchair and care for her generally. I don't want there to be conflict between my friend and the carer over the issue of food but I do think that it would be better if she didn't gain any more weight. I have suggested hiding anything sweet but she will resort to eating cereal or trying to eat food from the freezer at night. A long while again I mentioned weight gain to the elderly care nurse at her surgery but she wasn't concerned and wasn't in favour of restricting her food in any way.

Is this as much of an issue as I'm making it out to be? Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[karaokePete]

Just a thought, but, by any chance, is your friend on Mirtazapine? Weight gain is a very common side effect with that so if she is on it maybe an alternative med would help.

 

[silkiest]

Hi @Violet Jane, I have come across several people with dementia who either are always or never hungry. My brothers FIL over the time of his dementia has gone from being always hungry, putting on huge amounts of weight and being treated for high blood pressure and diabetes to only eating small amounts. He now has lost all his weight and no longer needs treatment for blood pressure or diabetes.
If she will still eat savoury foods could you look at lower calorie substitutes eg skimmed milk, extra veg and less carbs in meals etc. If she has sugar in drinks maybe look at sweeteners . High fibre foods tend to be more filling eg porridge for breakfast instead of low fibre cereals such as rice crisps and cornflakes etc. If she still has biscuits get the plainer ones that don't have cream, jam or chocolate on them, again oat biscuits tend to have more fibre and therefore help to fill her up.
Beware of sugar free sweets etc that have sorbitol in it as this can cause diarrhoea - a couple of years ago when MIL was still going out and buying things she had intermittent diarrhoea due to the amount of sweets she was buying and eating that contained sorbitol.

 

[canary]

Perhaps leaving some biscuits and a drink by her bed side for the night and cutting down a bit during the day might be the way to go.