Has your parent or spouse lost weight, a noticeable amount, as his or her memory loss has worsened?

my moms memory care place told me last week she weighed in the 120's - I got very upset at them because she was 138 and they were supposed to be giving her yogurt shakes and making sure she sat own for her meals...
they also said her thyroid was LOW (not high) and I told them I wanted her treated a few months ago for that.
She eats every bite on her plate - she obviously needs an afternoon snack and a drink
The thing with my mom is that she, at 89, is always on the go.

Garden Artist: Ensure--only as absolute last resort. Read the label for its contents. Anyone can do better making their shake, smoothy at home that is customized to their loved one's preferences. At least two of our clients who are nearing 95, they react badly to fruit.
with all due respect, I perceive that you are sending posters down the wrong track with your theory. What I am speaking about is absolutely related to memory loss.
Other poster. Thank you for sharing your experience. I will do background research and when I have a clearer answer, other than my own observations, I will post it here. Some expert must know the answer to our concerns.

GA, Yes, I like your idea of smoothies, but I will need to watch the natural sugar content, as my FIL is a mild diabetic, whose Dr just removed him from taking his Glucophage (diabetic med) because his BS lab values have been so normal. I know that he would Love those too!

This is what's been recommended to us as well: Boost and Ensure and similar products, but I hate adding something that's so processed. I've found that some smoothies are good, but the one with spinach kind of turned me off, much as I love spinach.

I did find that seniors sometimes lack these essential vitamins and minerals that affect absorption: B-12, calcium, D, potassium, magnesium, fiber, Omega 3- fats and water. The emphasis though was on fresh fruits and vegetables. Not a problem for younger people, but most of these are the ones that are limited in a dysphagia diet (even if Dad has really improved).

Maybe fruit smoothies with a bit of ice cream are a good possibility. I think I'll avoid a spinach or broccoli smoothie though, even though I do love both veggies.

Stacey, could you let us know if the Boost helps your FIL maintain his weight?

Great topic! My FIL has lost about 20# in the last year, despite a good appetite. I too will look into this possible absorption issue, but we have just started supplementing with Boost type shakes to help him at least maintain his current weight.

This issue has been troubling me so I did some research and found some good articles on nutrient absorption in the elderly. Some of it is lack of specific vitamins and minerals, some because of mlld or severe dysphagia, some because of inadequate water intake.

I think the underlying problem also is that the elderly aren't as active, don't need as much food, and even if they do get a well rounded diet, it's not always at the level of nutrients they need.

I've been wondering as well if part of it is attributable to the lost pleasure of cooking and baking, assuming that both men and women enjoyed this aspect of food preparation, or just enjoyed the process of having someone else do it. Meal prep is a major aspect of life that's changed in old age.

It's not quite the same to create something as it is to heat up a Meals on Wheels dinner, even though from what I've seen they're well rounded meals. Maybe some more sensory stimulation is needed? I'm going to do some more research to see if I can find foods that do stimulate appetite.

Looks like another issue to address in my father's diet.

My cousin has Vascular Dementia due to strokes. Over time she lost a great deal of weight, though, we didn't know why, at first. She lost interest in food, however, now that she has progressed with the dementia to the severe stage, she eats quite well. She has still lost more weight, despite eating well. She receives regular palliative care and there is no reason for it. It's just her body is not absorbing the way it used to do, even with extra calories. She is not underweight, but I expect that will come. Either that or she will eventually lose her good appetite.

I have read that it not uncommon for the patient who is progressing with dementia to stop being able to absorb the nutrients in the food, so even if the calories are consumed, they are not utilized by the body. I'd discuss it with his doctor, just to rule out anything else and make sure it's no food allergy.

I have noticed that most of the residents in the Memory Care facility where my cousin lives, are rather thin. The more severe their condition, the thinner they appear.

My father doesn't have either Alzheimers or dementia, but there has been a definite weight loss. However, once I learned he had dysphagia again, I attributed it to that.

I have noticed some short term memory loss but it's non inconsistent with someone who's inching up to turning 98.

There's definitely an appetite; he's just not regaining the weight he's lost (about 12.5% of his normal weight).

Pam, did your medical team recommend anything to help your mother absorb nutrients more effectively? So far the doctors have just recommended Boost, Ensure, drinks like that.

I've been wondering if there are specific foods with enzymes that might assist in metabolizing nutrients. Anyone know what kind of doctor might deal with this aspect? Would a nutritionist be a better choice?

AD, are you thinking that the memory loss and the weight loss are related in dementia, or are they a function of declining age?

I think maybe I need to do some research on this topic.

Yes in the last 3 months of her life, mom was losing weight as her body was no longer uptaking the nutrients properly.