My hubby with dementia has been refusing to eat or drink more than a tiny bit. Any advice?

First thing you do is pick up the telephone and call his doctor, and tell the doctor what you have told us. There could be a variety of reasons your husband won't get out of bed, and won't eat.

Hope this gets solved immediately.

When I was caring for my Grandma who also had dementia. We called her doctor when she stop eating and drinking and her doctor told us to contact hospice care. I know when people hear hospice the first thing they think of is Death. But that is not always the case it was the best thing that happen for my family. My Grandma lived longer with them then she would have lived without them. I hope this helps and I hope you and your family find peace.

Yes, call the doctor immediately. My husband was put on depression med, Mirtazapine, and the side effect was increased appetite. It worked great for him. It took a couple weeks to work tho. Again, call the doctor. And people need fluids....cannot go long without water/liquids.

Ditto all of the above advice - could also be any number of digestive issues. When my 94 yr old mom began refusing to eat I found out she had cancer, and even before that I would say, "Ok, how about a milkshake?" If I offered something she fondly remembers from the past she would agree and at least sip on it when I reminded her to. Now everything she eats is pureed so I just say she's having a milkshake, or if it's warm it's "soup".

Dealt with this issue with my mother, whom also had early stage dementia and little or zero nourishment. From that experience I'll say you can't drag your feet on this...as my family and doctors did. IMO we got bogged down on...cause, if we should act, does she want action and how extreme...while she was withering away. (Lost 20 lbs in less than 2 weeks) If his doctor is not aware of his lack of eating, inform him and/or make an appointment immediately. There are drugs, such as meatjeanne explains above, designed for anorexia-nervosa patients, that have been very helpful in increasing their eating. But, it takes 10-14 days for the drug to be effective. (Survivorists say the "healthy" human body can go two weeks without food/water before vital organs begin to die & shut down.) With my mother, by the time she was put on the drug...it was too late for it to turn things around. She had been on the drug for 9 days...not eating or eating very little for 2 weeks+...when the organ breakdown began and then...the end.

I tell you this not to scare you but to emphasize the importance of timing and urgency. And to simply provide information from someone who has been in the same boat and has also experienced the new age of medical care (at least where I live)...where doctors, nurses, hospice...give you very little, clear information or their opinion.
I wish you and your husband...peace.

Not wanting to get out of bed is a classic sign of clinical depression, and not eating and drinking also matches that diagnosis. Call his doctor, let him/her know his present state so perhaps a med can be started because these antidepressant drugs take about two weeks to correct the brain chemistry. Keep encouraging him to eat and drink and my best wishes to you both.

Call your doctor immediately. My my had Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's. My mom spoke very little and could not move without assistance. We would get her dressed and downstairs each day. She ate well but had to be fed. After 2 days of being very tired and wanting to sleep, eating very little, her doctor suggested we take her to the emergency room. I did not want her poked and proded for 5 days for hospital to say there was nothing they could do. Her doctor said it could just be a UTI and since she had no other medical problems if it was her mother she would take to the ER. After 3 hrs, we were told it was a brain bleed. Immediately called hospuce at that point to get her home where she wanted to be. Our story did not have a good ending, however, something like a UTI is fixable. It is definitely worth getting checked out sooner rather then later. You can always refuse treatment once you are at the hospital if you so choose. Hospital had to change iv line the first night in hospital and after trying 3x i firmly told them to stop. I didn't want my mom tortured. She was afraid of hospitals and just became confused snd disoriented, my goal was to get her out ASAP . Remember, once you know what is going in, you get to make the decisions you are comfortable with concerning the diagnosis you are provided with. Good luck , prayers coming your way.

I discussed this with my mother's doctors after she fainted for the second time in two weeks. She was placed in the hospital and a complete medical work up was done. She was prescribed a medication given to increase her appetite and has been eating everything she came find. I have stocked the refrigerator and pantry with fresh fruit cut in small bite sizes, grapes, apple slices, apple sauce, and carrots. These are things she can eat quickly and fill her up. It's amazing how the medicine has made an impact on her strength and energy levels. Ask his doctor about any medications for appetite . I was desperate enough to ask for a marijuanna prescription , the doctor laughed because our state does not have a medical marijuana law, but the doctors got the point to how serious the issues was for us.

The first thing you should determine is whether or not your patient has a "medical directive" stating what their wishes are for this stage of life. Many people fill one out stating that if they are incapacitated "no artificial means of life support...no feeding tube, etc. are to be used to keep them alive." But many times they are either ignored or caregivers are not aware of them. We need to talk to our charges long before that point arrives. Once a person has dementia it's too late for them to decide end of life care. Many of the cases on this site are probably such cases. Children of and caregivers for these patients want to prolong life as long as it is medically possible, regardless of the cost in discomfort and even agony for the patient. Why? So please, please have your own end of life instructions where your future caregivers can find them and talk about it while you are still able. When someone gets to the point where they have serious dementia, don't know where they are and don't recognize anyone and refuse food, why would you force feed them and put them on all kinds of drugs to prolong their life. Surely not for their sake.

Find a medical marijuana Doctor who can advise you. The proper usage of medical marijuana should control dementia symptoms. Try to research on line as much as possible concerning the use of medical marijuana as extract or tincture etc. Does wonders for dementia symptoms. Like day and night difference , once you determine proper dosage. May need to combine with valerian extract which can be purchased from whole food or health store. Will have to determine dosage such as 5 drops. Must keep on schedule for optimum results. I think it helps create hunger as well. Be sure to add organic honey to pureed
Food. Keep liquid stevia to help with sweet taste. Proper seasoning with salt,a little red pepper, cinnamon to enhance taste. Organic flaxseed oil in pureed food along with the honey. Organic smooth peanut butter with banana for snack. Organic avocado and boiled egg pureed together using a coffee grinder. Bathe brain needs good fats. Research using coconut oil and other good fats to feed brain with healthy organic foods. Focus on lots of love and kisses and talk during feeding time. Make it fun and encouraging.