How do I get my husband with dementia to eat?

I had the same thoughts as FunkyGrandma.   He may also be having trouble chewing, especially if he has teeth that aren't strong.   

Or he just doesn't like the food he's being fed.    How does he respond when given favorite foods?

I remember a gentleman at my mom's nursing home who couldn't focus on eating for more than a few minutes at a time, he had difficulty waiting for his meals to be served and once they were he was constantly getting up from the table and had to be lead back - if that's your issue I would focus on having many healthy snacks available throughout the day rather than trying to have him sit and eat an entire meal, this is also a good strategy for those with small appetites.

Is he having trouble swallowing his food? That was my first thought, as my husband had vascular dementia, and after almost dying from aspiration pneumonia, he ended up having to first only eat pureed foods, and then graduated to only soft foods. All of his drinks had to be thickened with Thick It as well.

Or perhaps he has a sore in his mouth or sore tooth?? I'm just trying to figure out why he won't eat. Will he at least eat something sweet, like pudding or ice cream, as many folks won't eat much else when they get older?

You don't mention his overall health, other than dementia, but when people are in the dying process, they don't want to eat either, and food at that time should never be forced on them as that can only make things worse. My husband didn't eat for 41 days when he was going through his dying process.

Hoping and praying you get the answers you need. God bless you.