How do you get a person with dementia to eat when the refuse food, or take two bites?
It is my husband who has dementia caused by mini strokes. He does not want to go to a nursing home. My daughter is his full time care giver as I have a full time job.
One thing I found out about taste buds is when I was using a whitening toothpaste... oh my gosh, I thought my taste buds had disappeared, food had a weird taste... it had scared me because I didn't know what in the world was going on... after playing detective, I narrowed it down to the whitening toothpaste. After going back to the old fashion standby toothpaste, a couple weeks later the taste buds came back... whew.
It is rough, but maybe keeping certain amounts of food for grazing, so you can monitor how much is being ingested.. LIghtly boil carrots to make them a little soft, and cool them is a good trick. You can do this with most hard veggies, with ranch dressing or favorite dipping sauces.
Some random thoughts: Are you eating with him or having him sit at the table by himself. Sometimes that makes a difference, too.
Don't know how old your husband is, but sometimes their taste buds get out of whack and food just doesn't taste the same as it did before.
Make sure he is actually hungry at mealtime. Sometimes you get so caught up with the supplements and the treats, that their appetite is actually spoiled for a meal.
Is he taking a medicine that the side effect is loss of appetite.
try soft foods, Ensure, fun foods. Treats. oatmeal cookies. Soups, or blended foods. What to Eat when you don't feel like eating, is a book that is published I believe through American Cancer Society....
Could it be that hubby has an issue with his teeth? Maybe a tooth hurts when he bites down to eat, or if he has an issue with his throat when he tries to swallow. Even acid reflex might cause someone not to want to eat.
When I read that your daughter is your husband full-time Caregiver, I am hoping she has an excellent retirement fund to tie her over when it is her turn. If not, it is so very unfair for her to give up her life and work just because her Dad doesn't want to go into a continuing care facility :(
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Are you eating with him or having him sit at the table by himself. Sometimes that makes a difference, too.
Don't know how old your husband is, but sometimes their taste buds get out of whack and food just doesn't taste the same as it did before.
Make sure he is actually hungry at mealtime. Sometimes you get so caught up with the supplements and the treats, that their appetite is actually spoiled for a meal.
Is he taking a medicine that the side effect is loss of appetite.
When I read that your daughter is your husband full-time Caregiver, I am hoping she has an excellent retirement fund to tie her over when it is her turn. If not, it is so very unfair for her to give up her life and work just because her Dad doesn't want to go into a continuing care facility :(