MIL has moderate dementia - concerned about weight loss. Any suggestions?

Thanks very much, those are excellent suggestions.

I'd check with the doctor about whether her current weight is a concern. My LO lost a lot of weight when she was first diagnosed withe dementia, but, was not underweight. Later, after she went on medication for anxiety and depression, her appetite returned, but, the weight did not. She was still not underweight, and this served her well, as she needed help with transfers from her wheelchair. That extra weight would not have been good for her. Of course, in the end stage, as she is now, she's lost a whole lot of weight, even though she eats well. Some people eat high calorie and still don't gain. I'd ask for guidance from her doctor. The MC facility should provide her with a balanced diet and snacks.

Eating less and losing weight is a very old way to ease slowly into death from other causes. Would this be a problem for you?

Some people with dementia lose their appetite and don't really get hungry anymore, so when living alone might not eat even when plenty of prepared food is present. My mother with MCI and short term memory problems lost weight the year before she came to live with me. Mom almost never asks for any food or drink and seldom gets food out of the cabinets or refrigerator but will eat when others are eating or when served a meal. When I was working, I often left a lunch in the fridge under a clear dome and called her during my lunch break to make sure she had eaten. She will also eat food she can _see_ on the counter, so I kept a fruit bowl filled and other snacks in a basket on my kitchen island. Mom's mobility issues have her "stuck" in her lift chair a lot these days so the fruit bowl and snack basket have moved to a nearly table. If MIL likes milkshakes or other treats, you might try taking her one with each visit.