Just an idea, but is she diabetic? If not diagnosed with it, she may be developing diabetes. The 3 cardinal signs are frequent urination, being thirsty and always needing to eat. High blood sugar is dangerous and can cause a coma.
I would bring this symptom to the attention of her PCP so she can be evaluated for Diabetes. If diabetes is ruled out (by lab work and/or fingerstick) then her provider can look for other sources of her increased appetite. Good luck!
Agree with Shane1124 about getting her checked for diabetes.
If no diabetes, I'm wondering is your mom overweight? If not, what is the harm of her eating? My aunt with dementia was thin as a stick her whole life and is now doing what your mom is doing. She's gained 13 pounds but at 97 I think it's actually good for her. She eats healthy food because her sister makes it, which will make a big difference. Can your mom chew things like carrot sticks, celery, apples, etc? You can prep these in advance so they are ready when she's grazing.
You asked what should you give her. We keep single servings of fruit salad with cottage cheese and coconut ready for aunt to snack on. Sometimes she enjoys just peaches and cottage cheese. A protein or ensure type drink can be satisfying. We make sandwiches from pimento cheese or peanut butter, quarter them and put a few grapes or a half a deviled egg in the container with the sandwich. She will snack out of the container. She also enjoys baked sweet potatoes. So there is usually one of those already baked in the frig. we weigh Aunt weekly to make sure she is pretty stable with her weight. I think unexplained weight loss is another sign of diabetis so keeping up with her weight might give you some peace of mind that all is well with the calorie intake. if aunt eats a good breakfast she doesn’t snack as much. Also remember that hunger is often truly thirst. She thinks she’s hungry when she is really thirsty and most elderly don’t like to drink water. That’s where the popsicles, grapes and watermelon can help out. My MIL (who had dementia) would say she had eaten when she hadn’t and go on to describe wonderful sounding meals. Then she was ready to eat again. She really enjoyed describing her feasts. Personally outside of the blood test and the weighing, I wouldn’t worry about the snacking.
Netty, what kind of food does she eat? When I have that "still hungry" feeling after eating, it's usually b/c there wasn't enough protein in the preceding meal.
Some foods are fulfilling and satisfying; others are not. One salad that I find especially satisfying is a mix of tuna fish, cukes or peppers (not green peppers; they're too contaminated with pesticides), peas, beans, carrots and whatever other veggies I might have on hand. I also add tri-colored penne pasta (even though it's not the best food).
You might keep track of what she eats, and how she feels afterward. If she isn't diabetic, you can experiment with foods that are more filling and satisfying, assuming she can eat anything and doesn't have swallowing problems.
High blood sugar is dangerous and can cause a coma.
I would bring this symptom to the attention of her PCP so she can be evaluated for Diabetes. If diabetes is ruled out (by lab work and/or fingerstick) then her provider can look for other sources of her increased appetite.
Good luck!
If no diabetes, I'm wondering is your mom overweight? If not, what is the harm of her eating? My aunt with dementia was thin as a stick her whole life and is now doing what your mom is doing. She's gained 13 pounds but at 97 I think it's actually good for her. She eats healthy food because her sister makes it, which will make a big difference. Can your mom chew things like carrot sticks, celery, apples, etc? You can prep these in advance so they are ready when she's grazing.
we weigh Aunt weekly to make sure she is pretty stable with her weight. I think unexplained weight loss is another sign of diabetis so keeping up with her weight might give you some peace of mind that all is well with the calorie intake.
if aunt eats a good breakfast she doesn’t snack as much. Also remember that hunger is often truly thirst. She thinks she’s hungry when she is really thirsty and most elderly don’t like to drink water. That’s where the popsicles, grapes and watermelon can help out.
My MIL (who had dementia) would say she had eaten when she hadn’t and go on to describe wonderful sounding meals. Then she was ready to eat again. She really enjoyed describing her feasts. Personally outside of the blood test and the weighing, I wouldn’t worry about the snacking.
Some foods are fulfilling and satisfying; others are not. One salad that I find especially satisfying is a mix of tuna fish, cukes or peppers (not green peppers; they're too contaminated with pesticides), peas, beans, carrots and whatever other veggies I might have on hand. I also add tri-colored penne pasta (even though it's not the best food).
You might keep track of what she eats, and how she feels afterward. If she isn't diabetic, you can experiment with foods that are more filling and satisfying, assuming she can eat anything and doesn't have swallowing problems.