Mom has mild/mid stage dementia. She says she's not hungry and barely eats. She's losing weight. Is this part of her dementia?

My mom died 3 weeks ago..that is how she started her declining..food just dnt interest them anymore..she when from eating some days and not other days..loss weight was hospice big worry..this lasted about 6 mths and then not eating or drinking at all..I miss my mom so much..

It can be. There is one lady at my mother's nursing home who I feel so sorry for, she has no idea if she is hungry or not and if left alone she will sit at the table and not eat or will get up and leave the dining room without eating anything. There are several others who have to be rounded up and brought to the dining room multiple times before they will finally sit and eat. If your mom is at home you have a lot more flexibility because she doesn't need to eat on a schedule, some ideas are to provide lots of tiny snacks throughout the day, allow her to have her favourites as often as she likes (for example pb&j for breakfast, lunch and dinner if she will eat it), look to boost calories with everything she puts in her mouth (greek yogurt vs regular, cream vs milk, nutrient dense nuts and nut butters etc) and consider adding supplements like boost or ensure.

Abby, your profile says that your mom lives independently, is that right?  One of the features of some dementias is lack of initiative, people know that something needs to be done - like preparing a meal  and eating - but they can't seem to get started, this can also cause problems with hygiene and medication management. It sounds as though she needs to have more supervision

I took my 90 year old mom to Dr.'s and even a trip to the ER, where the answer always seemed to be, she's old, old people just don't eat. Finally the last trip to the ER, I insisted that they run more tests and we weren't leaving until they found out what was going on, after an MRI, they discovered she had colon cancer, they did surgery that night and besides having a bag to deal with she's gaining weight and eating again. make sure it's not a medical condition that is making her not want to eat.

I agree with motherof5. My mom died 2 days before Christmas and hospice was called in during the summer due to a weight loss and eating decline. Seemed odd to me but hospice knows the signs. If she is still at home, this could be a more difficult issue. I miss my mother more than words can say.

In a word, yes. My mother lost about 50 lbs. after an Alzheimer's diagnosis . She didn't eat as much and eventually had difficulty swallowing and had to have a pureed diet.

If the mild-mid stage dementia is at an early enough stage for mother to be living independently, I wouldn't have thought that dementia would be the first culprit you'd think of when it comes to loss of appetite with weight loss - though, yes, of course, it could be that. What does mother's PCP/GP say? How is her health otherwise?

My mother is 87. She does not have dementia, and, over the past few years she has lost most desire for eating. She survives on Orgain -- which is a brand of protein shakes with vitamin supplementation. These have sustained her for the past 4 years. She lives here in my home and I have given her 5 of these every day. She takes and drinks these, but rarely will have any initiative to drink one on her own. I am also able to get her to have a bit of greek yogurt every day, because I crush her pills and mix them into the yogurt. I highly recommend the Orgains, since they have much less sugar than Ensure or Boost and are tasty as well.

harryp, thanks for mentioning Orgain, I have several times too. It’s as much what’s not in it, as what’s in it. The Ensure and Boost list of ingredients are creepy. I watch the prices on Amazon and can sometimes get a 12-pack for $23. I keep these stocked at Mom’s house, and remind her they’re there for whenever she’s not sure what she wants... which is happening ever more frequently. She has diabetes 2 and does a number on her blood sugar by skipping meals. abby, good luck, there are some very good tips here.  Thanks everyone.

If your Mom is living on her own, you say independently not sure if that is in her home or yours. It sounds like she is past the point of living on her own. She sooner rather than later will need 24/7 supervision at any rate.

Not eating or eating less is one sign of decline. Some dementia patients can not recall if they have eaten so they either do not eat since they may have already had a meal or they will eat constantly not remembering that they have just eaten.
Also meal preparation is very confusing there are a lot of steps and some of those steps can be a dangerous undertaking for someone with dementia. Sharp knives, stove, oven. Not recalling something is hot, if the stove is on, is it off, is the food properly cooked so it is safe to eat.

Since weight loss is a sign of decline it is possible that your Mom is Hospice eligible I would give one or two Hospice's a call and find out if she is eligible. They can guide you through the declines as well as help with supplies and equipment.