How to get parent to take in more calories/nutrition?

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Ann1963 Asked January 2022

How to get parent to take in more calories/nutrition?

My 86 year-old Mother sleeps a lot. She usually wakes at 12 midnite and stays awake until 11am-12pm.

At Midnight - Sometimes I have a full meal of leftovers warmed up for her. If I go to sleep before she wakes, I leave her a hot cheese sandwich, or two hot dogs, applesauce and usually 1/2 a peanut butter sandwich.
Midmorning - I will make her scramble eggs/toast, or oatmeal, sometimes sausage with her breakfast.

Her doctor says she's underweight and wants her to see a Dietician, but she always has me cancel her appointments.

I was thinking of making up some smoothies or some protein mix and give that to her mid-day. Wake her up and have her take in a few gulps. I need advice, thank you.

Diet & Nutrition Family Caregiver Recipes

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score 1 · Answer 1

Adult nutrition drinks, they are live savers. Literally.

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score 1 · Answer 2

There's a very high calorie Boost (630 calories), not available retail that we've found but can be ordered online from Amazon or elsewhere. Comes in vanilla and strawberry There's an unflavored nutritional suplement called Benecalorie that has 330 calories in a small (1.5 oz) container. That mixes well into lots of things, inlcuding smoothies, shakes, mashed potatoes, puddings, hot cereal, even meatloaf. A smoothie made with the very high calorie Boost, Benecalorie, and some fruit has about 1,000 calories. One of those a day is likely half the calories your mom needs.

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score 1 · Answer 3

Hi Ann, I remember that I started a thread on AC some years ago to list easy-to-eat, calorie dense foods. I was inspired by my severely underweight father and trips to the gastroenterologist during the time he had his g-tube removed. Among other things, I gave him Ensure Plus. One of those is 350 calories by itself. You might search some key words on AC to see if you can find some of the other threads about this. Making your own shakes and smoothies at home sounds good.

https://www.agingcare.com/questions/foods-for-weight-gain-elder-has-no-teeth-178481.htm

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score 2 · Answer 4

Ann, I would make the appointment and make her go.

I learned so much for my dad by seeing a dietician. It was the most educational 2.5 hours of all his appointments I ever attended.

It will help you feed her without trying to figure out all the ins and outs.

We walked away with lists of what to eat, what not to eat and the nutritional values of everything. Hopefully, you will have as great an experience.

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How to get parent to take in more calories/nutrition?

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