Are there guidelines for labeling someone with dementia as "failure to thrive"?

You are correct, absolutely

Is she in your home or in a facility? Two parts to this answer. 1. My mom is on hospice for this reason "failure to thrive" due to falls and not eating. However, she has been stable for the last year and hasn't lost anymore weight, in fact had gained due to being sedentary in a wheelchair. The facility/dr. she is in ordered hospice to come in and evaluate about a year and 1/2 ago. So you might go that route by contacting hospice company to come in and do that if she is living with you. #2.....my dad who is 92 1/2 and still lives by himself is steadily losing weight. He is down to 121 after being around 146-50 all his life. He WAS 5'6" but of course has shrunk which he still tells the nurses he is that. (I am 5'1" and look him square in the eyes:). All of his tests are perfect and right where they should be. Doctors tell him that it's just the aging process of losing muscle and to do the ensure or boost shake, about an hour after he eats lunch to fix himself a small sandwich. He's unsteady and uses a walker but I also have him doing some light arm weights and chair leg lifts to try to gain some muscle. He has gained a couple of pounds but I'm not looking for him to become Mr. Universe anytime soon. :) So, to sum up not knowing that much about your mom, the elderly do lose their appetite because systems are slowing down and it could be that simple or it could be that she needs to be evaluated by dr./nurse. 40 lbs in 3 years doesn't seem that much to me for an older person even if she did clean her plate. Their taste buds kind of go to pot too. Until you have her evaluated you won't know what's going on. Good luck and God Bless

I agree with the last post. A doctor has to make this determination and he also has to call in hospice. All homecare facilities have to workfrom a doctor order.

Have any appetite stimulants been tried? My mother lost considerable weight a couple years ago, but with appetite stimulants she has gained most of it back and has remained steady at about 124 (although with her inactivity she doesn't require much and never "cleans her plate"). However, just a small increase in daily intake maintained over time can make a significant difference.

Of course I don't know your mother's height or frame size, but would 135 lbs be an "acceptable" (i.e., sufficient) weight for her to maintain? If so, then successfully keeping her at this weight could be considered an achievement.

I don't know of any guidelines; and I agree that having her evaluated would be a good route to go. But I can share my experience with this issue.

My mom lives in a nursing home facility and was loosing a lot of weight after returning to the facility from a long hospital stay. One of the things they did, until she gained her appetite back, was to give her a liquid supplement - like ensure. This helped her to get the necessary nutrients while we figured out the best plan to get her appetite back on track. Best of luck to you and your mom. :-)

Good answers. Is she home, if so have her doctor determine if Hospice should come and evaluate her. Sorry but you haven't said much.... her age, anyone living with her, her health other than the weight.

What is an appetite stimulant?

my brother has been staying with my parents for 12 years now.my father passed away 6 years ago and now he has beeh staying with my mother for the last 6 years .she is 94 and has real bad dementia.they just diagnosed her with bladder cancer and it has taken its toll on him .he is really not able physcialy or mentally to care for her anymore .my question is would I be able to remove him as poa without my mothers consent since she is not able to make that decision

Agree with all answers. Coninued and continuing loss of weight can be considered failure to thrive and with that diagnosis would be eligible for hospice care.

Lizzie Hall, an appetite stimulant is a medication used to increase one's appetite, so a person who didn't feel like eating, or at least didn't feel like eating much, is likely to eat more. (In other words, it helps in giving the patient "the munchies"!) This can be given alone or put into food.