He eats but recently he's spitting out food. Any idea why this happened?
My family has been taking care of my grandpa since we went home a while back. I am usually the one who takes care of his food. At first, I had no problems giving him any kind of food. He would perfectly finish it. Recently he was admitted home on meds, so I understand that his appetite decreased. Recently, his mood towards food is different. Sometimes he wants to eat this and that, and we give him what he wants, but he can't finish it. Which is fine with me as long as he puts food in his stomach, that's not a problem at all. I gave him some tender pork (just a small slices for him to eat and it's not that hard to chew either) earlier for his lunch, and suddenly he doesn't chew that much (it just happened now). He eats the first bite but the second one, he spits out. So, I opted to give him an apple just to fill his stomach, again he spit it out. This is just new to me since it just happened recently. Is it better to give him liquid food all the time? I give him food at the same time every day for him to get that routine that he should eat when it's time already. Usually it's breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-dinner format.
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If you notice that he is having problems with "thin" foods like broth, water, milk, coffee and the like then thin foods may have to be thickened. There are products that can be added that will thicken liquids. You can thicken anywhere from a nectar thick to pudding thick if he needs that.
This is something that should be discussed with his doctor if this is a recent occurrence.
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/dysphagia-how-to-help-a-loved-one-eat-and-drink-safely-187010.htm
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/swallowing-disorders-tips-for-using-food-and-beverage-thickeners-208048.htm
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/alzheimers-patients-stop-swallowing-eating-138218.htm
You sound as tho you should have/could benefit with a nutrition consult. The answer now, with aging, is not to force the issue of food. Elders need very little to sustain life. It is a matter more of what they can:
A) tolerate and handle.
B) what they love (milkshakes with a little extra protein powder or made with ensure?)
C) what they WANT.
You are basically talking end of life care once you are being fed. The goal is comfort and joy.
So you are on for speaking with MD as first step.
Wishing you luck.
Someone mentioned the thick it thickener. My mother hated it and rarely would drink it and was starting to dehydrate. For her, a cup with a top and straw for regular liquids, water and juice worked very well.
Best wishes.
Both mix up nicely in liquid, giving a texture like Jello that isn't quite set yet.
Give soft foods if he will tolerate that. Also thickened liquids. Its best to consult with a speech therapist, as they will determine if swallowing can be done safely.
He may simply need to eat less. And his tastes may have changed. Don't push him to eat if he doesn't want to. Talk with his primary doctor about it.
I made smoothies for my mom when she started having issues with eating. Soft food like scrambled eggs, soups, mashed potatoes, avocados, oatmeal, yogurt, fish, etc. worked fairly well for my mom.
Also, appetites start to diminish as a person ages. They lose their taste buds and aren’t as hungry, so they eat less and less.
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