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My 93 year old mother "needs" to eat and drink constantly. recent blood work results are normal (ruled out diabetes).

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Wondering if I've misunderstood the nature of this forum ...
I'm hoping to connect with other caregivers who have encountered similar medical experiences with their loved ones and were fortunate enough to have found successful, concrete solutions managing these or similar symptoms.

I've dealt with the other end of the spectrum...my dad was hospitalized for having gone down to 90 lbs. Fortunately after several weeks of rehab, he gained weight and has been stable since (105lbs). Best wishes to those of you dealing with keeping the weight on.
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I too have trouble getting my mom to eat if I were not here she would not eat at all . She does eat well whole grain veggies such an ovcourse ice cream that's all she would eat, drinking water juice any thing is something I have to keep an eye on as well. I think your lucky.
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i too was thinking as i read your post of a nutritional problem, ex: kids who eat paint. I was thinking candida yeast. Mine was not vaginal it was in my body and made me very sick. Of course, in her latter years we want to give them whatever makes them happy but only to a certain extent. Don't forget. All the while she is eating the sugars etc are on her teeth; i doubt that she is brushing after every snack. Whatever the age, everything in moderation. I don't know that I would put her through a lot of tests but you could start with a vit b shot and see what the results are..etc.
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"...does it really matter, actually? .... she is going to die sometime in the next ten years; which means something about her body is going to go haywire. Of all the symptoms we've seen on this forum, being hungry seems like one of the most benign....:"

Okay, I gotta say, with all due respect, nutrition is important at any age and every age. Though it may seem relatively "benign," overeating can be a problem in itself, can exacerbate other problems, and can be symptomatic of still other serious problems. For example, many people mood alter with so-called "comfort foods" (most commonly high in sugar, fat, carbs, refined carbohydrates) to self-medicate depression, grief, and/or anxiety, when what they really need is grief support or therapy for depression and anxiety. Has she been tested for food allergies? Sometimes people have an "addictive" allergic reaction to certain foods so that the more they eat they more they want. Also might need to be assessed for nutritional deficiencies that could trigger cravings. Anyway, what if this lady has "only" 5-10 more years to live - or only one, for that matter? The quality of those years can be significantly enhanced or diminished by what/how much/why she eats, just as at any other age. Bottom line: (in my humble opinion) if this incessant eating and drinking is new behavior OR if its long-term and chronic, I would have it assessed by an appropriate medical professional, either a doctor, nutritionist, or other. Best wishes to all...
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Its one thing or another. My Dad says the Nursing Home feeds him too much...3 meals a day and snacks, my Moms lack of memory says the same Nursing Home only feeds her once a day. She wants to eat all day but she's diabetic. She now hoards food "for later" I used to keep snacks, peanut butter, crackers etc in their room now we go thru her dresser drawers, pockets etc looking for hidden food which has gone bad...sometimes grosly bad and she still wants to eat it. After smoking for more than 60 yrs, my Mom has stopped smoking...she forgot she smoked and I think thats what caused her appetite increase.
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Is she overweight? Is the eating causing her problems?
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I agree with he above post, my dads dementia made him forget to eat. He lost down to 94 pounds and there wasn't anything I could do about it. I would take him hs food and hope he would eat. He didn't want me there very much even if I came planning for a long visit he would tell me I needed to go home to my family. My dad is in the nursing home now, with their help he has gained up to 110 pounds. They till have to bribe him to eat, he gets two small containers of ice cream with each meal and ensure at least once a day. I would love to have the problem you are having, be thankful she eats. Like it was said before, maybe she is bored or doesn't know what else to do with her time. Is there something she would enjoy that she can do, it may help if she had a schedule of activities.
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Let her eat and enjoy it!
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What part of this are you actually worried about or need to manage?

It is a logistical issue for you to let her, or make it possible for her, to eat when she wants to? (How much is incessant?) Maybe she's got nothing else to do and it's comforting.

High-glycemic diets make you hungry all the time. How much sugar and refined flour is she eating?

Or is it her physical health? If that's what's worrying you, what do her doctors say? Is she wildly overweight? how much food is she actually taking in?

(And does it really matter, actually? Not to be brutal about it, but she is going to die sometime in the next ten years; which means something about her body is going to go haywire. Of all the symptoms we've seen on this forum, being hungry seems like one of the most benign....)
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