How can I control my mom's night eating habits?
My mom has Alzhiemer's and lives with me. Every night she forgets that she has had dinner. We eat around 7:30. Her appetite is good and cleans up her plate. Around 9-10, I give her fruit but she still wants to stay up till 11. She forgets she ate anything so she asks me for more food! I say it's too late to eat but sometimes I give her a bowl of cereal or a fruit to get her to go to bed. She wakes up 2 hours later and looks for foods in the kitchen. I leave her some cheerios and couple of fruits like a banana and a tangerine on the counter before I go to bed. In the morning I notice all of them are gone! She gets up otherwise and goes into my fridge or each cabinets! If she finds anything she eats them all, like a box of cookies or half of a melon etc. etc.
How can I control these midnight's eatings and her crazy appetite? Am I doing the right thing leaving her snacks during the night? I'm worried she gains too much weight since she's not active as much.
Please advice.
30 Answers
Popular Questions
Related Questions
- How do I stop mom with dementia from overeating? She forgets she ate then eats again. She gained 30 pounds and none of her clothes fit.
- Dementia or just plain bad behavior?
- Any ideas on how to close off the kitchen from mother-in-law (81 with Alzheimer's) and father-in-law (82 with dementia)?
- My grandad who has dementia takes a lot of time to eat, which can make his food go cold. Is there anyway I can keep it warm?
If she isn't fat, I wouldn't worry about leaving her good healthy snacks.
Also for her night snack before you go to bed, try a bowl of oatmeal because it'll make her stomach stay fuller longer.
You could also have her drink a cup of sleepy time tea and check with her Dr to see if she can take a 5 mil of over the counter melontonin as a sleep Aide.
Keep leaving her a healthy snacks in her room so she won't go roaming around the kitchen.
If all the above doesn't work, the last alternative is to put locks on your pantry and refrigerator so you can lock everything up at night.
I have a 96 yr old Dad that likes snacks during the night too.
He lives in his own home with 24 hr Care. I buy easy healthy snacks like mini muffins, breakfast drink,, breakfast bar,, yogurt, applesauce for them to give him whenever he wants, even Midnight or 4 AM.
I figure at 96, he deserves to do what he wants .
And coffee - when he could no longer figure out how to make coffee in the coffee pot (and he'd wake me up at 2am to make it) I bought a Keurig. So he makes 3 or 4 cups of coffee to go with all the toast. And he drinks sip.or two, and makes another cup.
I tried leaving him sandwiches or cereal with fruit etc, and he'd eat it while he made toast.
So I gave up. He feels happy that he's doing something and he is eating, although not very nutritional. His PCP said to keep protein shakes on hand and make him drink at least one a day.
The PCP said i shouldn't be so rigid about what he eats, because of the ultimate outcome. Just my 2 cents.
The brain no longer tells the body its full. And like u said, she forgets. All part of the desease. Oh yes, baby lock everything.
Limiting choices also worked with my mother. Do you want to do this or that, never what do you want to do. That created too many choices and we then did nothing. Mom - I going to the store - do you want me to pick up a roasting chicken for dinner on Sunday or a Pork Loin? It was usually chicken as long as I was going to cook it.
Then, make sure she isn't eating because of anxiety or boredom.
You can get a child lock for the refrigerator, or just a light weight chain and a lock. If you have a separate pantry a hook and eye lock should work. Place it very high so it is out of sight. Or a hasp and lock will work well. (I placed one on the bathroom linen closet where I stored medications so my Husband could not get to things.)
Do not give in to giving her food after you have told her no more.
Do not leave food out for her to find.
Start getting her on a schedule and try getting her a bit ore active. A walk before or after dinner. A walk before or after lunch.
Talk to her doctor about her waking up and wandering around at night.
I would be concerned about her wandering around at night. Is there ANY possibility that she could get out of the house and wander away?
Block her access to kitchen. Lock up cabinets and refrigerator.
I think you’re doing fine- maybe take the sugary stuff with you when you go to bed but fruit, cereal, all sounds good. If she hasn’t actually gained too much weight so far, I think you’re doing right by her.
You sound like the Angel’s Angel! She’s lucky to have you!
If her weight is high and she has health problems due to her weight, slowly taper what you are leaving as a snack.
If her doctor thinks she is underweight, increase the calories in the snack.
A nutritionist informed me that everyone should have 3 meals and 2 snacks daily for the beat metabolic functioning. A snack should generally have half the calories of a meal with 3 of the following components: fruit, vegetable, protein, dairy and/or fat. The recommended calories per meal vary by age/height/weight.
An elderly person with a healthy appetite is a blessing! My mom stopped eating completely once and we started her eating again, but this was a very scary time. In order to switch on her appetite, we were instructed to encourage higher fat content and more caloric foods.
Another relative struggled through anorexia with a “fear” of food - be so grateful that your mom doesn’t have these terrifying and sometimes fatal health problems.
With Alzheimer’s, she cannot enjoy life as she once did, it is so nice that she is enjoying food.
Pick your battles with the ones that really count - those involving safety.
Best to you and your family.
See All Answers