How much weighg has she lost? Who is responsible at the ALF for checking on her eating, weight, etc. It's not the cook, i can assure you.
If this ALF has a Director of Nursing or Medical Director, that's the person you need to talk to. Your mother may need a swallow study by a speech pathologist. She may need food that is chopped or pureed. Start out by contacting yhe social worker to find out which medical professional you need to have this conversation with. And let us know what you find out!
I live 4 hours from my mother so I visit her once a month. I eat lunch with her when I come. A month ago when I visited she didn't eat anything even though I kept encouraging her to do so. Yesterday was the same . The meal consisted of salad, green beans, stuffing and chicken breast. I cut up the chicken breast into small pieces and encouraged her to eat. She wouldn't touch it. She did however eat a bowl of ice cream which was served for dessert. I talked to the cook in the kitchen who told me she hasn't eaten much for about 6 weeks.
How much assistance is she getting at the ALF? The amount of support each patient gets in ALFs varies by state. In my state of NC, the facility requires the resident to come to the dining room to have their meals for at least 2 meals per day. They monitor their food intake so they address anyone who isn't eating. They also weigh the resident once per week, to keep their eye on their nutrition and the early signs of any medical problem. Are they doing that with your mom?
If this is not being done, then maybe it should be. It may be that she needs more support with getting her to a table and provided with food that is soft enough for her to eat and in bite size portions. My cousin's' Memory Care unit serves their meals in small pieces. Some residents have to have their food blended up like a pudding. The dementia can cause them to not remember how to cut meat up or even how to chew. I would seek an evaluation to see how much of that your mom can still do.
How do you know that your mother has barely eaten anything? Is this a report from the staff or from mom?
How much weight has she lost?
She may have entered the "failure to thrive" part of dementia, which would probably mean she qualifies for hospice care. Ask at the AL if there is a hospice organization that has staff in the building and research them, as well as other local hospice organizations. Ask for a hospice evaluation by one of them.
If this ALF has a Director of Nursing or Medical Director, that's the person you need to talk to. Your mother may need a swallow study by a speech pathologist. She may need food that is chopped or pureed. Start out by contacting yhe social worker to find out which medical professional you need to have this conversation with. And let us know what you find out!
into small pieces and encouraged her to eat. She wouldn't touch it. She did however eat a bowl of ice cream which was served for dessert. I talked to the cook in the kitchen who told me she hasn't eaten much for about 6 weeks.
If this is not being done, then maybe it should be. It may be that she needs more support with getting her to a table and provided with food that is soft enough for her to eat and in bite size portions. My cousin's' Memory Care unit serves their meals in small pieces. Some residents have to have their food blended up like a pudding. The dementia can cause them to not remember how to cut meat up or even how to chew. I would seek an evaluation to see how much of that your mom can still do.
How much weight has she lost?
She may have entered the "failure to thrive" part of dementia, which would probably mean she qualifies for hospice care. Ask at the AL if there is a hospice organization that has staff in the building and research them, as well as other local hospice organizations. Ask for a hospice evaluation by one of them.