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My Mom is 94 and has demetia. Broke her hip this last July and we've been on kind of a roll a coaster since then. UTI's, constipation, MRSA staff, intermittent bouts of insomnia with hallucinations, and now no appetite at all. She was diagnosed with a yeast infection in her mouth and was treated with liquid nystasin. Seems to be gone now, but still no appetite. I've been trying to get her to eat regular food, but she has no appetite and even when she will agree to taste the food (her favorites), she doesn't think they taste good. I've been having her drink 3, 4, 5 ensure pluses a day, but now realize after some research that this is not a good answer. I'm wondering if anyone has some recipes for 'real food' nutritional blended drinks that I could use instead of the ensure drinks. Also, my Mom just today developed a rash on her back and I'm wondering there have been any side effects experienced from a week or two use of ensure drinks? Thanks, KJ

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Sorry. Just read your Mom past. So sorry. My post is way late. I apologize.
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Hi KJSpradlin
My Mother In Law has Alzheimer's and I have been doing shakes for her starting just recently. I also took care of my previous husband with MS for 20 years with feeding tube 15 years. I tell you this because I come from years of experience and really hope to help you.
I blend banana or other fruit to her liking, peanut butter(about a TBSP), one TBSP oil, one scoop of protein powder, I put all her vitamins and minerals (powdered) in as well. I use an ensure to give choc and more vit/min boost if I have them. If not I use hersey's choc. I put fiber powder in and her cranberry powder (for urinary health). I also make different flavors other than choc to mix it up a bit. If she isn't in hospice I would call a hospice company to come out and see if she qualifies, which I can't see that she wouldn't. I am in the middle of figuring out what exactly are my M-I-L's nutritional needs are and will put the shakes together according to that. Protein, fiber, fat, vit/min, and water are the most important elements in whatever combo that is good and tasty. Sweet is better than savory and cold is better than room temp. Also I shake some salt in the shake because of low blood pressure.
Hope this helps you! I'm so sorry you are going through such a difficult time. I wish you the very best.
BZ
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Eggs, protein powder, ground nuts can add to almost anything!
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This works for my mom. Purée all food then for one cup add tsp raw white Canadian honey and stevial(has it's own measure devise tiny: use 1). Dash of red pepper (organic, not too much); high quality sea salt (follow directions for one serving); organic chilli powder, 1 tsp high quality premium raw unprocessed coconut oil(so good, almost addictive; feeds the brain lots of health benefits), and maybe one fourth teaspoon olive oil(also for health benefits). The key is to their need for taste (sweet and good). Also balance meals with vegetables, grains, beans. My mom enjoys her food...takes a lot of time for me and Now I,m pursuing weight gain in healthy way. Use the Internet to research.
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I don't have time to read all the responses, but you can puree all food. My mom is now on a pureed diet as she was choking on her food due to difficulty swallowing. So all meals - including meat and veggies are blended and given as a meal - and she LOVES it.
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According to me When people get older, they taste less and less -- but SWEET is a flavor they can still taste till the end, in most cases. My Dad will drink anything with Chocolate Ovaltine in it: I put in pasteurized eggs.
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Thank you; it's ok. I got so much out of this site, I can't bear to take if off of my list. I hope you will have a blessed and happy new year! KJ
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Oh KjSpradin, sorry to hear she passed away, I see now the date of this posting and I wish they would delete old posts, sorry and take care.
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Hello to all of you and thank you so much for your wonderful messages and ideas. My Mom passed away this past summer. I think of her every day and miss her so much. I really appreicate all of the help and support I received from this site. You are all so wonderful for the care that you provide to your loved ones. Take care and here's to positive thoughts going into 2013.
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lettydru, you mention a banana and then bowel issues so I wanted to just mention how constipating bananas are. Prunes also constipated my Mom, but not the juice. Her daily regimen is 1.5 teaspoons of miralax, 1 helping of prune pudding with her pills 2x daily (I make the prune pudding) pureed fruit i make and freeze, and 1/2 cup of warm prune juice mixed with a small applesauce before bed. If I dont do all of these daily she will get constipated and if she eats bananas she is super sensitive and got backed up easy before this routine. Good luck!
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i haven't done it myself but many of my friends make smoothies/nutritional drinks at home with yogurt, berries etc and its in pureed form...i was at whole foods and they had even added kale to one receipe and it was delicious..i guess they call it "juicing" these days...and if needed you can thicken it with thick=it. in the meantime ensure will be fine and they have 3 flavors...i actually buy the store brand of ensure whether it be walgreens, cvs or rite aid. let us know how it goes. some people will drink if they won't eat.
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Hi, KJ, I totally can identify with your mom's appetite issues. my dad has parkinsons and what I use is a product called Complete, an all plant-based protein shake that really tastes good. I use it in place of Ensure, in fact, every morning when he gets up I blend it with milk.three prunes, his stool softener, a banana and a bit of whatever frozen fruit I have on hand. Of course it can be tailored to meet an individual's taste, but for us it has been a lifesaver. Its the first thing he wants in the morning. So far we have been able to counterract the bowel block issues and the skin breakdown that is typical at these ages.

Bless you for you caregiving...
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Lots of people I know with dementia and Alzheimers don't drink but rather get spoon fed the water/beverage or thickened beverage. They seem to take it in.
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Thanks so much for the ideas. I have started to 'blend' some meals, however, she didn't want to drink, so I've just been talking to her and letting her know how important it is to eat......sometimes when she's not even hungry. She has been responding to this for the last couple of days and that's a big 'breakthrough' for us. We'll see how long it lasts, but for right now....after almost 6 months of 'ensure' she seems to be coming around. There is 'hope' out there!!!! Love and Hugs to all of you!
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I took nystatin regularly for a few years; i didn't have yeast in my mouth or a female yeast infection but the belief was my body was full of yeast and making me very sick. You might want to ask if you mom can stay on it. Mine was a powder that I mixed with water. I'm sorry you mom doesn't have an appetite. Try the meds someone suggested. My suggestion is to try a variety of these in small amounts so you don't waste your time and money on a big casserole for example, only to find mom doesn't like it. Gerber has graduate foods that i used to feed to my mom and she loved them. It doesn't cost a fortune either. Let us know how it goes.
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Thanks for the Ensure explanation. When I wasn't eating a few years back (stressed to the max) i started drinking Ensure. Now that I am back to eating I've used ensure in my coffee (yum) but I have really put on the lbs. How about soy milk; they have many flavors and soy is suppose to be good. Keep fighting the good fight to find something you mom likes and will eat. My mom used to love chicken pot pies but doesn't seem to want to eat them now.
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Yes, we've tried several appetite stimulants and with no success so far. Thanks so much for sharing though. Every idea/thought is worth exploring!!
KJ
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A dr can prescribe magace its an appietite stimulant...works well
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My understanding is that Ensure does not have all of the necessary nutrients of a balanced diet. Because it is a dairy based product, it has also added to my Mom's 'constipation' issues. We are trying really hard to find other alternativs, but she really doesn't want anything else. Hard to believe, but it's hard to make some eat when they just don't want to.......it's definitely easier said than done!!
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I have never heard anything negative about Ensure? Can you share what the problem is with it?
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I doubt that the ensure caused her rash, ensure and boost and other supplements that are similiar in nutritional value are often used by hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare agencies. They have a high nutritional value to them. Some people really do not care for the flavor.

As the person with dementia advances in their disease they will have a decrease in appetite, could be from any number of things including having a difficult swallowing regular foods.

Protein to protect from skin breakdown would be one of the more important nutrients to get into her. You can try ice cream milk shakes, fruit smoothies made with yogurt, oj and frozen fruit is a good nutritious option. Try 3/4 cup frozen fruit, 3/4 vanilla or strawberry yogurt and 1/2cup of orange juice, blend until smooth, add more juice if too thick. If your mom can't drink through a straw, try giving it to her by spoon a little bit at a time. I have heard that people recovering from thrush have a hard time with taste, thick, cold, sweet beverages often help with this.

I am sorry that your mom has been through so much.
Sarahjean,
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We make smoothies like crazy. We discovered how much better organic yogurt tastes (and milk too) so we use them rather than standard commercial brands--well worth the extra money. I freeze fruits in season, on trays overnight, then dump in a ziplock bag. Berries are super easy and I buy in quantity during the summer.When we make fruit smoothies, we add baby spinach or other greens to bump up the nutrition. Add a little almond or vanilla extract for extra flavor. Orange juice w/ yogurt and vanilla tastes like dreamsickle. My mom will eat a jello salad made w/lemon, lime jello, cream cheese and whipped evap can milk, when nothing else appeals to her. We also make sweet potatoes often.
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I am glad you asked this question. I have been battling my Mother to get her to eat for about a month. She has lost around 10-12 pounds in 6 weeks. Staying hydrated is also a problem. I don't know if she is beginning to shut down, if it is an issue of getting older, or psychological (eating seems to be the only thing she has been able tocontrol since the multiple myeloma pain began 10 weeks ago). I was glad to read the suggestions others made. It helps to know I am not the only one working on this problem. My prayers are with all of your caregivers.
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Thanks tammyde. Mom had a dr. appt. last Friday and had gained 5 lbs. I guess that means she's drinking enough ensure. I'm still thinking that she's not getting enough 'regular' food. Is the Visalus a prescription? Also, if it's for 'losing' weight, I would be concerned about what else it has in it that may effect Mom. She's been very sensitive to anything new in her system. I really appeicate the idea though, so let me know. KJ
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KJ: I was using Visalus shakes for weight loss and someone told me an interesting thing. The shakes taste good and are packed with nutrition. This person started giving 2 a day to her elderly grandmother, who refused Ensure and was becoming emaciated and dehyrdrated. She said she was surprised that her grandmother liked the shakes and was able to change the flavor simply by adding fresh or frozen fruit, organic chocolate sauce, flaxseed, etc. If you want, I get get a sample pack for you and you can have her try it.
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I was using Visalus to lose weight and heard an interesting discussion with other Visalus shake drinkers. One of them said that she gave the Visalus shake to her elderly grandmother who had become very emaciated due to loss of apetitie. The shakes taste pretty good, much better than Ensure in my opinion, and are nutritionally dense. You can add things such as fresh fruit, berries, flax seed, etc, to increase the nutrition value even more and change the flavor so it doesn't get boring. If you would like to get a sample,
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Will do! Thanks again for you help with this. It's nice that we all understand how 'big' even the smallest things can be if they work!! Hugs and hearts to you!
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Oh my Mom cannot swallow pills anymore so we pulverize them in a crusher and add it to her prune pudding. Try 1 T once a day for a few days and see how she is. You probably only need 2-3 T a day anyway. Try the 1/2 shot cup if you have one as a guide for a regular day dose. I know, I till measure what she gets and let you know, lol
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Mom is taking her pills with either ensure and or Plum Smart juice(w/the Miralax) She only takes 1 and a half pills in the morning so no pill time at night. Very lucky she doesn't take alot of meds. :) I'll let you know how we do this weekend with a tablespoon or so!
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Maybe 1 Tablespoon is enough. My MOm never blew out on it but I only give 1/4-1/2 of a shot glass with her crushed pills morning and night. I will tell you what does make her blow out , cheerios! I have to mix them with chex mix and trix. The colors on her plate of cereal catch her eye and tastebuds and she starts eating.
Let us know how it goes, or doesnt go, haha
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