Foods for weight gain when elder has no teeth and history of potential aspiration. Any ideas?

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AliBoBali Asked March 2015

Foods for weight gain when elder has no teeth and history of potential aspiration. Any ideas?

This is more an answer than a question. I'm in the process of getting my father to gain weight after a hospitalization and being on feeding tube last fall. Dad and I went to gastroenterologist appointment yesterday and doctor gave me a list of foods that are soft enough to be swallowed easily with minimal chewing, and are calorie dense. It's mostly common sense stuff but I thought I'd share the list in case anyone else out there has a similar situation. Gastroenterologist gave me a list.

1. Mashed potatoes with lots of butter - doc said potatoes would bulk up my father quicker than anything else.

2. Haagen Dazs brand ice cream which is about twice the fat per serving as other ice creams. Doc was right about this, I couldn't believe it when I read label today.

3. Microwave waffles with lots of butter and syrup to soak the waffles in until they are soft.

4. Sloppy Joes sandwiches, or just the meat mixture, made with high fat hamburger.

5. Any kind of potato salad, macaroni salad, egg salad, tuna salad made with lots of real mayonnaise, and chopped up small enough to eat with minimal chewing.

6. Chocolate bars, specifically the kind where a small square can be broken off and sucked on until melted.

7. Scrambled eggs with melted cheese and finely chopped bacon.

Of course, dad gets the extra calorie Ensure Plus shakes as well, 2-3 per day.

Anyone have any simple-to-make foods you want to add to this list? I personally find that this list goes against my own natural tendency to want a diet high in vegetables and low in carbs, so it was helpful for me to get these tips. I'd love to hear from anyone who has also had to put weight on your elder/family member, and what foods you used to do it.

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score 0 · Answer 1

These are all very helpful and I do them all. She is pepsi fiend. At least 2 a day would do more but the doctor said the caffeine is adding to her frequent urination probs course she ain't buying. She will not drink ensure hates eggs. I'm continuing to just journal and if necessary let the doc address it with her. Gotta let go of such frustration

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score 1 · Answer 2

i add egg,hole milk,Vanilla, just a cap full and syrup to the batter mix when i make waffles and pancakes

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score 0 · Answer 3

Mom says when she sleeping she see a man who is faceless and says to her he will take care of her with a needle. Today after a few hrs of visiting she needed to lay down and she was talking to this vision in her mind with her eyes closed and crying afraid. It was heart wrenching to watch because I realized it was very real to her. Has anybody else had this type of an issue ? Any suggestions?

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score 1 · Answer 4

Jennegibbs
Yes, mom has been taking her meds crushed with applesauce for a very long time, before this increased paranoia began. The dr has now reduced the amount of her medication. So now she will be taking fewer. Her thyroid , bp, and colitis medication are so crucial at this time.
The speech therapist has evaluated mom for her meals with swallowing. At this time mom eats very little no matter what time of the day the meal is served. When she is served reg meals breakfast and lunch with supervision. And ground meal at dinner. She hasn't past the ability to chew and swallow to be on her own without supervision. And liquids are staying nectar thickened. Many of the ideas mentioned are familiar. However my mom is lactose intolerance so milk products are not a thing she consumes. Mom has refused her medication for since February 6 and inconsistently takes them when she in the mood . Today she's taken them in the am and hopefully in the evening she will cooperate. Perhaps her levels of her thyroid will get to wear it was and her hemoglobin also. I will be taking her to a GI . There was labs that came back that indicate elevation for her pancreas and another lab indicating something going on in the colon. Thank you for your response. God bless😃

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score 2 · Answer 5

Equinox, is Mother being told her pills are in the applesauce? When my husband got to the point of needing his pills crushed into something, I was always very obvious about it and explained "these are your pills, to make them easier to swallow." I sure didn't want him to get the idea I might be tricking him about his meds at other times.

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score 1 · Answer 6

Alison, thanks for sharing your list. I think this will be helpful to a lot of people.

Does your dad need his liquids (such as whole milk) thickened? Is he OK with that? If not, would he like an occasional beer? I can tell you that thickening beer makes a fizzy mess, but according to my husband tastes OK.

My husband loved milk shakes, and even when nothing else appealed to him I could make a shake with ice cream, some milk, an envelope of Carnation Instant Breakfast (or whatever they call it now) and maybe some fruit. One combination he really liked was a banana, chocolate Carnation, either vanilla or choc ice cream, some Hershey's syrup, and a scoop of peanut butter. Another was vanilla ice cream and Carnation powder with canned peaches with their syrup and a shake of cinnamon. Obviously the combinations are endless.

When my mother "just wasn't hungry" often a root beer float appealed to her.

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score 0 · Answer 7

Equinox, I don't know how to help elders when they are being paranoid/delusional. I think it's common, from what I've read on here, that many elderly do get paranoid about someone slipping drugs/meds in their food or drink. You might want to see if there is already a question for that topic, and if not, post one! I know it's a problem but I haven't experienced it.

Will mom's NH make meals to order? Or mom just gets what she gets?

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score 0 · Answer 8

Cwillie, in my situation, there is no cap on the calorie count right now. My father is 5'10" and was down to 110# a few months ago due to hospitalization and being unable to swallow. So for right now, he can consume as much high calorie food as he wants. He doesn't have a large appetite anyway, he's built slim, and I cannot picture him ever getting too heavy. He's 5'10" and just under 120# currently.

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score 1 · Answer 9

Great ideas. My mom(85) is on the soft mechanical meals at the Nh where she resides. These meals don't look appetizing but her excuses are she doesn't want to get fat and they don't taste good either. She has also been refusing medication. She has become more paranoid these last few months because the nectar thick tastes horrible and that she thinks sombody is drugging her. Any suggestions on how to convince her otherwise. Med have been reduced and crushed for easy swallowing mixed with applesauce.

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score 1 · Answer 10

Are you trying to gain weight or just maintain? How many calories does the doctor recommend? 3 ensures a day are already over 1000 calories! My mom likes oatmeal in the morning so I fortify it with skim milk or protein powder, and for variety add in dried fruits like prunes or dates and sprinkle on ground flax seeds, and of course lots of brown sugar. Offer smoothies and thickened fruit juice instead of water, hot chocolate or mocha coffee as hot beverages, cream soups made with real cream (almost any soup can be whirled in the blender, and a good way to get your veggies). You can add cheese to almost anything, top your minced/pureed veggies with a pat of butter, make things like tuna casserole, shepherd's pie or mac and cheese if he likes that kind of thing.... once you start thinking about it it's easy!

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score 0 · Answer 11

Good input on the pancakes vs waffles. I'll see how dad does with the waffles, but I think I'll get the pancakes in the future.

I left full fat milk and full fat cottage cheese off my list. Those are good ones, thanks for the reminder.

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score 1 · Answer 12

In addition, peanut butter, Nutella, pasta, fruit flavored drinks, whole milk.

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score 1 · Answer 13

refried beans with cheese (not fat-free beans, use full-fat cheese)
most smoothies from commercial establishments, frappuccino's
fruit in heavy syrup
Avocado
Chopped or ground nuts on his ice cream
Personally, I would think the Eggo waffles would be too tough with no teeth, could you use microwave pancakes instead?

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Foods for weight gain when elder has no teeth and history of potential aspiration. Any ideas?

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