She is diabetic. I have to check her glucose levels 4 times per day, and usually give 4 insulin shots a day. I've tried everything to get her to eat healthier, but she will not eat dinners and only wants junk. Meaning cookies, crackers, puddings. She knows this affects her glucose readings but she still continues to eat this way. If it's sweet, she wants it. If not, she won't eat it.
I am caring for my grandmother living at home with age-related decline, alzheimer's / dementia, arthritis, diabetes, hearing loss, heart disease, incontinence, mobility problems, osteoporosis, and vision problems.
About Me
I'm a 49 year old woman who provides 24/7 live in care for my 93 year old grandmother. This started as a part time thing. My mother, her daughter was helping as well. However, my mother had multiple strokes and hasn't been able to care for her. I stepped up the past year and a half and it has turned into 24/7 ever since. I've not had a single day off. I'm the only one to care for her. Her son, my uncle works full time job and makes all the financial decisions. I have been doing this with hopes that she wouldn't have to be put in a care facility. I have always been very close with my grandmother and have tried to be the hero, but it has seriously taken a toll on my health and mental health. This is just so much on one person.
With dementia at play, grandma's tastebuds changed and she now wants sweets all the time. Nature of the beast.
With all you've already got on your plate, are you really wanting to ADD grandma's nutrition to the chaos, at 93? I'd either leave her alone to eat whatever she wants or remove all the junk food from the house. Replace it with healthy options but expect carrying on in response.
I don't know why you think it's heroic to keep grandma at home and out of Memory Care Assisted Living when it provides a stimulating environment for her and 24/7 care. You're sacrificing your health and emotional wellbeing when you could visit her daily and become the granddaughter again instead of the burned out caregiver.
Best of luck to you.
If she is of sound mind she is allowed to eat whatever she chooses to eat, even if it kills her.
If she has dementia and lives with you, then keep such foods out of the house.
Either way, you personally are covered.
What are you afraid of? That she's going to die if she eats only junk? Well guess what? At 93, she's going to die sooner than later anyway, so let the poor woman be.
If someone tries to tell me what I should or shouldn't be eating at 93, I would tell them to get the heck out of my house or room if I happen to be in a facility.
Please let your grandmother enjoy whatever time she may have left on this earth, and eat whatever the heck she wants to!
Leave her alone, she is in her 90's, at that age what difference does it really make what she eats?
My mother is 98, she eats whatever she wants and I support it.
Your grandmother has dementia and is 93. Enough said.
With the Dementia she does not "get it" when you tell her that she needs to heat a healthy meal.
So stop worrying about a "balanced" 3 meals a day.
Give her more acceptable snacks that she can have more often.
If grandma is mobile and making her own meals that is another story.
Is she competent to make decisions? Or is someone POA for health, finances? If she is making her own decisions you have little to say about it.
Honestly with all she has going on health wise I would begin to worry less about things. She is 93 with Dementia, mobility problems, heart disease and the list goes on.
1. Notified of her diet &
2. Asked for a referral to a Dietician - who can assist with diabetic education & provide an improved diet.
In Aged Care there would be 3 meals & 2-3 snacks a day. Regular smaller meals may be ok, but the sugar content is not.
If you have moved into Grandma's it is going to be very hard indeed to aquire the authority needed to run HER kitchen like a Care Home!
‘If you have absolute control over your GMs diet then you can clean up her diet to include no processed foods or sugar and she will feel better and be healthier.
It takes a few days to get the sugar out of her system. But if she refuses this or has others interfering in her diet you might as well give up,
You would really have to study this by reading someone like Dr. Mark Hyman, Sugar Solutions or 10 day detox to understand all the foods you would need to delete from her diet.
Sugar is so very addictive that it is hard to resist once hooked and most of us are. After all over 70% of Americans are overweight or obese. I forget which category
You could certainly help her by reducing starches, reducing the number of hours she eats (intermittent fasting) etc. you could ask she be given ozempic or one of those drugs to reduce her appetite but you would need to simultaneously remove all the high fructose corn syrup products, the high glycemic starches, the breads, the rices and potatoes and pastas, the sodas and crackers and sweets.
You would need to offer her veggies and proteins and non sweetened drinks. She would feel better almost immediatly but you will find it difficult for others to comply. One slice of pie or piece of cake can throw her off course. It is an addiction. Think crack cocaine. . Think alcohol. Think sugar. It requires detox. It requires abstinence. Several days of angst for her, but so worth it if she is willing. Probably not and others around her will think you cruel.
She will eat healthy food once her palate is clean but you have to stop bringing her the things she craves and educate yourself to know what is satiating and nutritionally sound or you are just trading one bad habit for another..
If the poison doesn’t come into the house, she can’t eat it.
I’m sorry. I wish it were easy but it’s not.