My mother 87 has alz, she is quite fit all considering and only the last couple of days am find it hard to get her to eat more, never had

[woodka]

any probs before any ideas what I can do?

Kath xxx

[ladymoth]

Elderly folk sometimes find eating difficult if they have ill-fitting dentures, a sore mouth, a mild infection, or if they are dehydrated. There are quite a few causes for poor appetite, and those are just a few .

I would start with trying to get her to drink a bit more - that might help. If not, it might be worth having a word with her GP, or the Community Nurse to see if she needs a urine test or any other medical help.

Until then, try her with a fairly milky rice pudding and some stewed fruit puree, soup, custard - anything soft and easy to eat.

I hope she improves soon!

Moffy x

[_Phoenix_]

Hi, this is my area of work- I'm a nutrition support dietitian and work with a lot of patients with alzhiemers/dementia. Unfortunately loss of appetite is a common symptom of progressing disease. As said above, other factors need to be ruled out if the loss of appetite is ongoing, as obviously infections/denture problems etc can be treated which will help improve appetite/eating.

But if it is just a symptom of the alzhiemers then I'd suggest if she is eating less than half of her meals, you could buy nourishing drinks like Build-up/Complan (you can get them from chemists/supermarkets), or make homemade milkshakes/smoothies with full cream milk, ice-cream, bananas etc. Or you can make forified milk- add 4tbsp of skimmed milk powder to a pint of whole milk and use in drinks/on cereal etc.

Also you could try fortifying what she does eat with things like cream, butter, cheese, skimmed milk powder, and if she's not diabetic then sugar, honey etc.

If she starts to lose a significant amount of weight then let her GP know and see if they can refer her to your local community dietitians x

[woodka in reply to _Phoenix_]

Firstly big thank you for getting back to me, not diabetic, and doesnt like milk whats so ever drinks her coffee black, likes cheese honey, bananas, have got an appointment 25th now she dont like drs, so as I have power of attorney I can deal, no problems with dentures, on a daily basis she will have slice bread butter cheese with jam, then bit later fried egg on toast, then before she goes to bed with have another egg and beans, this is only a recently things uptil a week ago I managed to get her to have a dinner potatoes and two/three veg, chicken.

Im struggling my self as I have fibromyalgia, and I have also fell out with food, I just dont enjoy eating any more and I used to love my food, and am eating less than a child portion.

Big thanks Kath xx

[jillylin]

It is part of the declining part of this illness. I just lost my mum to dementia and eating had become a problem. She never ate enough and her tastes changed. I found using fortisip helpful.

[woodka]

Sorry but could you tell me what fortisip is please x

[Malwimmy27 in reply to woodka]

It's a juice or milk type supplement which is packed with all the vitamins and minerals you need.

Another type of suppkement is ensure or ensure plus, but don't think these would be helpful as like a milkshake but might be worth a go.

You should be able to get a prescription for the fortisip from the GP. Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

Becky x

[mistymeana]

Glad you have a GP appt booked. Was going to mention Fortisip myself. It's a fortified drink that helps provide missing nutrition to people (usually the elderly) who aren't able to fulfil all their needs through eating. The GP will probably want to refer your mum to a dietician so they can see if any tweeks to her diet can help and, if not, they will request her GP prescribes Fortisip or something similar. Good luck x

[woodka in reply to mistymeana]

Is the Fortisip in the uk? Your help is much appreciated thank you xxx

[mistymeana in reply to woodka]

Hi, yes it is a UK product. I think you can possibly buy it privately but it's likely to work out expensive, especially as your mum is entitled to free prescriptions. Also, it would be a good idea for health professionals to check there's no medical reason why her appetite is waning other than Alzheimer's.

[Envirowiser]

Loss of appetite has been mentioned by others, but there has been no mention of vitamin deficiency in the diet, which can cause confusion and anxiety with an assumption that the person has dementia. I am not medically trained but I can tell you that when my mother was 82 she suffered these symptoms, phoning me in the middle of the night and asking me to make her a cup of tea, thinking I was her husband and fearful that I was leaving her when I said I had to go ( I live several miles away) and so on. Her doctor inferred that she was suffering from dementia and said she would need to go into a Home. I then came across an article where it said vitamin deficiency could cause these symptoms, and thinking about this I realised she was not eating fruit and greens or salads as her stomach could no longer tolerate them , and therefore not getting the necessary vitamins. I then put her on daily multivitamins which she took for the rest of her life and within 48 hours she was completely back to normal. So much so that 3 months before she died in her own home, just before her 90th birthday she rang her solicitor to update her will. I do not want to give anyone false hopes but this might be worth a try.

[woodka in reply to Envirowiser]

Brilliant all noted and will try much appreciated xxx

[Envirowiser in reply to woodka]

I hope this works for your mum. Unfortunately in my experience many professional people tend to assume that if someone has symptoms that are found in their area of 'expertise' then it must be due to their speciality, and fail to consider any possible alternatives.

[Envirowiser in reply to Envirowiser]

Hello again, Woodka. The message in my previous statement applies Just as much in other areas of social activity, such as the Social Services (where there is an inevitable feminist bias because 95 % of those working in that area are women,- and the converse would undoubtedly apply if 95% were men) and law enforcement agencies, including the Police

[inquisitive_1ady]

My Mum who suffers from dementia seems to eat alot less when she has a urine infection (UTI) might be worth having this checked.

[woodka in reply to inquisitive_1ady]

Good point, thank you xxx