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 dad was always a stocky, muscular, athletic guy. He did have to watch his weight. His "ideal" weight was around 165 or so (he is short). He is mid-stage dementia and now struggles to keep his weight over 130. He was only 125 lbs when we moved him to a memory care facility a year ago. He used to eat light foods, lots of veggies, fish, etc. Now he eats more "comfort food" type of stuff that is fattening - more meat and potatoes. Also eats lots of candy, desserts and drinks a Starbucks frappuccino daily. He is downright gaunt despite the calorie intake.

This could well be a symptom of the dementia. Please check with her Dr about depression, and vitamin levels. My mother is in late stage dementia, and total care, been taking care of her 10 years. Also check for dsyphagia sometimes it is just hard for them to swallow so the don't want to eat. Best of luck. Bless you

Dental issues can also impact what and how much they are eating. And if they have lost a lot of weight and wear dentures, they can start to not fit right. Check everything, and eat with mom whenever you can. Also other conditions can prevent a larger meal. I would try to buy quick easy smaller food options.....like shrimp cocktail. I could get 10 large shrimp with sauce. She could graze....2 as a snack...2 more at dinner time....that kind of thing. When you visit, make a sandwich, cut it in fours, and put it in the fridge separated on two plates. Call her later to remind her to take a plate out and nibble. Eventually, if it's dementia, she will need more help than that, but if your mom is an independent soul as mine is, you can buy more time for her life to be on her own terms. Think creatively!

We thought Mom was not eating much even after she moved to her cafe facility because of the habits developed when she lived alone. ie. forgetting to eat, logistics of meal prep, shopping etc. Even when balanced, appealing meals were served on white table linens, Mom continued to eat very little. It turned out that when we requested a review of meds and replaced Seroquel with Remeron, her appetite and weight have increased. Check out the side effects of all meds. Good luck.

My mom has dementia and we were told she was sort of depressed. They placed her on a mild doze of anti depressant (mirtazapine) which increased her appetite. We also give her boost which can be purchased at Sam's Club if you have one in your area. They are sold by the case which I believe has around 24 bottles. It runs around $29.00 which is a much better value than 12 for $23.

This was my husband's problem. He went from 140 to 109. But every time he ate certain foods he would get pain in his chest and upper right abdomen. We found out he had a GB problem and had it removed. Now he eats but half of what he use to eat. I don't attribute it to his dementia but just a loss of appetite and I find if I make all of his favorite foods, he eats better. He loves his breakfast so I make him a fairly good breakfast and I switched dinner to his lunch. He still won't eat anything at night except a cup of tea and a snack but he isn't as afraid to eat as he once was with his gallstones. His doctor suggested milk shakes instead of Ensure and he really loves the shakes but I'm afraid his appetite will not get back to what it use to be. I look at other elderly gentleman at Church who look very robust and wonder why the difference between them and my husband but as my husband once said, not everyone is at the same level of health regardless of age. My husband is in mid-dementia, slowly going into his final stage.

I agree with 1952aprilfool; get a medical evaluation for this problem.

Dementia can also be the cause of weight loss and lack of interest in food. It could be lack of appetite, loss of memory, lack of initiative, or a change in how food smells and tastes, or some combination.

When I could still leave my husband for a few hours at a time to go into work, I would leave a cold lunch for him in the fridge. He didn't even have to heat anything up. I'd call around noon and ask how he liked the turkey sandwich. "Oh. I forgot about it. I'll eat it now." I'd come home and the sandwich was still in the fridge. He wasn't having a problem swallowing and he'd eat dinner with me just fine. But he didn't have the memory and/or initiative to get his own lunch, even to just take a prepared plate out of the fridge.

AbbyRose, does someone eat with your mother? Does she eat better when she has company?

Another problem for my husband came a little later. He completely lost his sense of smell, and therefore food no longer tasted the same. Eating was a chore, not a pleasure. Eating high-calorie things that were either very spicy or sweet was helpful. He liked milkshakes made with ice cream, a packet of Carnation Breakfast powder, fruit, and a enough milk to make it a good thickness. One of his favorites was chocolate ice cream, chocolate Carnation, a banana, milk, and some chocolate sauce. He liked canned peaches with everything else vanilla, too. I always put hot sauce out for his meals, too. A little sriracha never hurt tomato soup!

Start with a thorough medical examination if she hasn't had one already. Once medical issues are ruled out, follow with a thorough neurological examination to make sure her dementia hasn't progressed more than you think. People with dementia lose weight for many reasons, including disinterest in food, forgetting to eat or forgetting the last time they ate, lack of initiation, wandering (burns lots of calories, even if she's wandering in her home). Hard as it may be, it sounds as though she needs more supervision.

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.

If available to you please change the Ensure to Glycerna which is for diabetics specifically.
This hopefully should help her blood sugars.

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.

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.

I agree with cwillie. She needs to have someone cook for her and feed her. Because she might not do that on her own.

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.

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.

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..

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?

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

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.