Yes, her stomach gets full, but the the center of satiation in her brain, no longer exists. It has been destroyed by her dementia, along with other important functions of the brain.
With dementia many of the "cues" we use to tell us we have to go to the bathroom or we are full no longer "work" properly. This is why some with dementia over eat (and most gain weight when this happens) and some forget to eat and become malnourished. your mom is eating but still burning the calories but that may change soon, or not, and if she does gain weight caring for her may become more difficult. Leave out healthy snacks for her. Fruit, yogurt are good options. Break meals up into many small ones. Breakfast could be at 8am a bowl of cereal and some fruit. At 9am some toast and tea or coffee. At 10am some yogurt. Or whatever she normally has for breakfast break it into 3 small meals. Do the same with lunch and dinner.
Thanks so much for your reply. How can she be burning calories when she spends 23 hours a day in bed? Her only movement is walking 10 steps to/from the bathroom on her own.
And she only weighs 88lbs. No weight gain in the 9 months she has lived here with me.
My MIL had the same problem but she didn't live with us... it turns out she thought she was eating but actually wasn't. She nearly passed out in public while we were with her. She had to go to AL after that.
Due to your mom's cognitive and memory decline she probably can't process the signals her body is giving her the same way as before. Many senior women can't recognize when they get a UTI also. A super common problem so be on the lookout for that as well. Hang in there! You're doing the best you can!
This is why some with dementia over eat (and most gain weight when this happens) and some forget to eat and become malnourished. your mom is eating but still burning the calories but that may change soon, or not, and if she does gain weight caring for her may become more difficult.
Leave out healthy snacks for her. Fruit, yogurt are good options.
Break meals up into many small ones.
Breakfast could be at 8am a bowl of cereal and some fruit. At 9am some toast and tea or coffee. At 10am some yogurt.
Or whatever she normally has for breakfast break it into 3 small meals.
Do the same with lunch and dinner.
And she only weighs 88lbs. No weight gain in the 9 months she has lived here with me.
I am baffled.
Due to your mom's cognitive and memory decline she probably can't process the signals her body is giving her the same way as before. Many senior women can't recognize when they get a UTI also. A super common problem so be on the lookout for that as well. Hang in there! You're doing the best you can!
She doesn't gain weight.
She also insists that no one ever comes to get her when it's meal time. This is despite all of us having observed her eating. And, eating, and eating.
A year ago, she was insisting that every day was a Fasting Day in Lent, and she wouldn't eat a thing.
Dementia stinks.