Mom hates all the food I cook for her, even the stuff she used to love.

Here is what we've had this week. Homemade cheese burgers, sweet potato fries and peach cobbler. Southern fried pork chops, mashed potatoes and home gravy and biscuits, Chicken and dumplings (Grandmas recipe), Chicken cordon bleu, fresh green beans, fresh fruit and yellow squash. All of these are her favorites and she finds fault with all of it. I've cooked for her for years and has never found fault with anything until now. She is on the same meds that she's always been on and this is a new behavior. Do elderly persons taste buds change? She won't give me input as to what she wants and says that she is starving. I'm at a loss.

Shoot I'll come and eat her portion cause that sounds good!

I think they just lose interest in everything, not just the food but everything within itself. My mom never use to eat sweets, (I don't either) but now she eats a lot of them. She still eats well though but I don't know what to tell you, just keep serving what you've been serving up to her.

Sure does sound good though!

Mmmm! I'd like to eat at your house! Yes, sanity, I do think their taste buds change as they get older. And I bet that meds can change what tastes good to them too. Your menu has delicious and varied food on it, so it certainly appears that your mother is having a change in appetite that has nothing to do with your cooking. If nothing else works, it might help to get candy with nuts in it---at least that would give her some protein. There's only so much you can do. Maybe her doctor would have an idea. You've probably already done this, but you could ask her what she would like you to cook for her. Good luck with this.

Wow! Can I come eat with you? You're serving your mom better food than I do. My mom likes to eat a lot of certain foods too. For her it is potato chips, Ding Dongs, apples and bananas, and Boost (the nutritional drink). The last few are healthy, but she was just eating way too much. For these "trigger" foods, we put them away in a cupboard that she can't access. Every morning before she gets up, I put out just how much she is allowed to each each day. That way she can't fill up on this food and say she is too full for dinner. You might want to do something similar with your mom's candy.

Does your mother have problems eating? Trouble swallowing? Shaky hands? Maybe it isn't that she doesn't like the food but is embarrassed by trouble eating it. Unless something has really changed her taste buds (meds?), she most likely will eat if she is starving. In the meantime, talk to her doctor and make sure she is getting enough nutrition. You may need to find a nutritional drink that she likes or get her on some vitamins.

Take care.

Just responding to the "Do elderly persons taste buds change?" question. They do for sure, but not that drastically. Is there any way when she says she's starving - presumably at her hungriest - to try to use that window to get at, "For what?"

Sounds like the communication problem might be bigger than the loss of appetite problem. Since you say, "What WE eat", do you think the not eating is her way of expressing disapproval of something going on within the family. If it were just the loss of appetite itself, she might even joke about and say "Let's try some vegemite".

Pamela says, "I think they just lose interest in everything.", but my 104 y.o. grandma still loves the chow mein / General Tsao's chicken / Crab Rangoon from our longtime family fave takeout, the creamed fresh veggie soups I make, fresh juices from my Champion juicer, her cheesecake and other desserts, our monthly Domino's, our once in a blue moon Alaskan King Crab, and all the rest of it.

So loss of appetite does not necessarily go with the territory.

Other than that, wow, growing up, my family never had anything to do with dumplings - your Grandma's recipe sounds great.

You guys are so sweet!!! Thank you thank you thank you for all the input! You're all welcome to come for dinner, any time! Moms always been under weight, and she had a fall last year that caused her to lose even more weight. Over the last 10 months she has gained 18lbs but, she is still considered under weight. The candy isn't a big issue, I just want her to eat real food. Mom may be upset, as 3 years ago I moved in to be 24/7 caregiver after she went on Hospice. Hubby and kids stay at my house (5 minutes away). Mom wants us all to live in her home and no one wants that (but her). We started having family dinners every night about 9 months ago. Mom was happy having this family time, but since she isn't getting her way with us all living under the same roof, this may be her way of acting out. Mom refuses to move in to our home. I even started to buy food magazines and watch the food network to get her excited about food again. We're having Taco's tonight and I made her help me make the flour tortillas (literally brought in the bowl and dough to her room). Keep your fingers crossed that she will eat!

JulieWI, Sorry, completely phased out the second part of your question. She has no problems eating, swallowing, no shaking. We did have some problems over a year ago, but it was medication based. Mom is actually getting better. 7 months ago she was on complete bed rest. Her mobility has very much improved. I have asked her if her partial is bothering her and if it still fits correctly. She states it's still perfect. It doesn't seem that it's any type of physical problem. I hate to say it, but, her behavior is making me think it's just acting out. Oh, we also have ensures or I make her protein shakes with vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit.