We give my Dad (he's going to be 95 in April) a high-quality weight-gainer protein shake - banana is his favorite. And he usually has a good bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and some type of fruit and a banana shake if he doesn't want to eat dinner. He can be very stubborn. Works out well. And I don't have to force him to drink the shake - he loves it! Win Win! He also snacks throughout the day on whatever he feels like - even candy!
One early sign of Dementia is the loss of taste and smell. You need smell to taste. Its smell that gets the saliva glands working. So food for Dad may not be appealing. With Meals on wheels I would say there is no salt or spices because of dietary needs of other clients. I worked for a VNA and a client was always throwing her MOWs lunch in the trash. One Nurse told her to stop the delivery if she wasn't going to eat it. There are only so many people MOWs can service because of volunteers. Some else could be helped.
Our Society seems to feel we need 3 meals a day. We don't. I eat very light for breakfast. Could be a bagel, cereal, oatmeal a cinnamon bun. I snack in the afternoon. Then dinner and I eat nothing after dinner and I am 73. What those with Dementia can taste is sugar. Thats why they go for the sweets. So maybe toast with cinnamon sugar. Oatmeal with sugar. Some salt and spices. Unless a diabetic, having a balanced diet doesn't matter at this point.
My daughter was an RN in NHs and says she has seen little old ladies live on 3 insures a day. I had to eat insure for a couple of days. If you put them in the freezer for an hour or two, they thicken up and taste like a milkshake. Good. Choc anyway.
Give him what he wants and likes to eat, regardless of what it is. Even if it's chocolate ice-cream for breakfast. And try incorporating some of the Ensure drinks in his flavor of choice. Now this is of course if he doesn't have a swallowing issue which could be a reason that he's not wanting to eat, so have that checked first, then just give him whatever he says he wants. One of the ladies in my caregiver support groups mother who lived to be 102, lived on ice-cream and cashews for the last 5 years of her life. That sounds pretty good to me, and if I live to be that age, I wouldn't mind that as my diet either.
No offense to Meals on Wheels but I tasted one delivered to my MIL and it was not very appealing in either texture or flavor. Maybe this is one of the problems. Taste one of the meals for yourself to judge.
I always tell people that it is quite amazing how little it takes to sustain life ongoing for an elder who wishes not to eat. This is most in evidence when one cannot any longer swallow and a decisions is made for Hospice and end of life care. They often go on with tiny amounts of food and fluid for months. That said, you should consult with his MD. In the end stages, especially with dementia involved, elders often not only lose all drive to eat, but lose a lot of swallow reflex, resulting in choking and food sucked into the lung, causing aspiration pneumonia. A swallow eval can be arranged with OT or radiology to see if there is a good swallow reflex. If not nutrition suggestions will be made in consult with a nutritionist.
Tksquest, welcome to the forum, this is a common question. Please note that when we age we tend to lose our sense of taste except for sweet tasting items. I know it is slowly happening to myself. Stuff I liked years ago have no appeal to me now.
What does Dad like to eat? If it is only one or two types of meal, then go with those meals. Chances are with Alzheimer's he won't remember having the same meal the day before.
My parents [in their 90's] always had muffins, ice cream, pies, cakes, soft cookies, and a lot of TV type dinners. Nothing wrong with having ice cream for breakfast [unless your Dad is on a medical diet].
Our Society seems to feel we need 3 meals a day. We don't. I eat very light for breakfast. Could be a bagel, cereal, oatmeal a cinnamon bun. I snack in the afternoon. Then dinner and I eat nothing after dinner and I am 73. What those with Dementia can taste is sugar. Thats why they go for the sweets. So maybe toast with cinnamon sugar. Oatmeal with sugar. Some salt and spices. Unless a diabetic, having a balanced diet doesn't matter at this point.
My daughter was an RN in NHs and says she has seen little old ladies live on 3 insures a day. I had to eat insure for a couple of days. If you put them in the freezer for an hour or two, they thicken up and taste like a milkshake. Good. Choc anyway.
And try incorporating some of the Ensure drinks in his flavor of choice.
Now this is of course if he doesn't have a swallowing issue which could be a reason that he's not wanting to eat, so have that checked first, then just give him whatever he says he wants.
One of the ladies in my caregiver support groups mother who lived to be 102, lived on ice-cream and cashews for the last 5 years of her life.
That sounds pretty good to me, and if I live to be that age, I wouldn't mind that as my diet either.
What does Dad like to eat? If it is only one or two types of meal, then go with those meals. Chances are with Alzheimer's he won't remember having the same meal the day before.
My parents [in their 90's] always had muffins, ice cream, pies, cakes, soft cookies, and a lot of TV type dinners. Nothing wrong with having ice cream for breakfast [unless your Dad is on a medical diet].