My husband has dementia and continually wants to eat. I would say every half hour he walks to the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer after eating.
He is 82 , diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. I make breakfast lunch and dinner for him, work outside the house, have home care… does he forget he eats? He snacks all day. Is it his dementia? Or something else
I am wondering if anything that we said them was useful information for you, and worked to help the situation? Have you consulted your hubby's doc? Is there a lot of weight gain involved?
If weight gain isn't a problem, and this has been ongoing for years, I don't know that I would worry about it a whole lot. Just consider it "grazing" and know that a lot of habits just change with the aging mind.
I sure wish you the best and hope that otherwise all is well with you.
Possibly he forgets he has eaten. Portion the meals into smaller parts. For example if breakfast is Juice, cereal and some fruit give him juice then a while later the cereal then a while after that some fruit. Same process with lunch. Break it up into several small meals. Dinner you can do the same thing. Keep the healthy things he can snack on out so he can get them the rest of the items keep locked or someplace where he can not get to them. There are locks for refrigerators and freezers. there are also magnetic locks for cabinets that are not visible that will keep pantry items safe. You could consider getting a small "dorm fridge" for him and keep his refrigerated snacks and liquids in it so he can get them when he wants. Make sure that the caregivers are fully aware of what they can and can not give him. All that said.... At some point you realize that the Dementia and the diabetes and other conditions will cause his death. You make a decision that his comfort/pleasure is what matters and if he wants an extra bowl of ice cream....you give him an extra bowl of ice cream.
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You posted us this question in November of 2022.
https://www.agingcare.com/questions/i-am-sure-someone-will-be-able-to-help-me-my-husband-has-moderate-dementia-and-snacks-all-day-any-ad-478135.htm?orderby=recent
I am wondering if anything that we said them was useful information for you, and worked to help the situation?
Have you consulted your hubby's doc?
Is there a lot of weight gain involved?
If weight gain isn't a problem, and this has been ongoing for years, I don't know that I would worry about it a whole lot. Just consider it "grazing" and know that a lot of habits just change with the aging mind.
I sure wish you the best and hope that otherwise all is well with you.
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Portion the meals into smaller parts.
For example if breakfast is Juice, cereal and some fruit give him juice then a while later the cereal then a while after that some fruit.
Same process with lunch. Break it up into several small meals.
Dinner you can do the same thing.
Keep the healthy things he can snack on out so he can get them the rest of the items keep locked or someplace where he can not get to them.
There are locks for refrigerators and freezers. there are also magnetic locks for cabinets that are not visible that will keep pantry items safe.
You could consider getting a small "dorm fridge" for him and keep his refrigerated snacks and liquids in it so he can get them when he wants.
Make sure that the caregivers are fully aware of what they can and can not give him.
All that said....
At some point you realize that the Dementia and the diabetes and other conditions will cause his death. You make a decision that his comfort/pleasure is what matters and if he wants an extra bowl of ice cream....you give him an extra bowl of ice cream.
The staff reminded them that dinner had already been served and they were offered a snack of some sort, a cookie or a sometimes a half a sandwich.