My 90+ year old relative lives in an independent living facility where she pays for two meals in the dining room and eats breakfast on her own. A few years ago she fell a few times and was in rehab for a bit, apparently due to electrolyte imbalance. In my opinion, she was having short term memory issues and declining mentally. She also seemed depressed and sometimes talked about never leaving her room again.
When Covid hit, her facility closed the dining room, canceled activities, and delivered three meals a day to all residents. Overall, she seemed so much happier during this period. Instead of complaining about the place, she talked about how wonderful it was that they were being so careful. She also seemed more 'with it.'
Now that things are getting back to normal, she seems like she is slipping to me. The dining room has reopened and she's still getting two meals per day. She is more irritable and back to the relentless complaining. Is it possible that the full breakfast made a difference? It was an eggs/bacon/ toast type meal. She says she eats breakfast on her own, but I suspect she just drinks coffee.
If your relative can only afford to pay for 2 meals, breakfast should probably be one.
Can she order delivered breakfast like during Covid?
if she takes medication in the morning, it is even more important to have breakfast.
Eating nutritional meals, at the same time daily and getting his meds as needed was a life changer for him.
I think that the regular socialization helped a great deal as well.
Perhaps faranlee can arrange delivered-to-room breakfast each morning, and let her loved one continue with the lunch and dinner dining-room meals.
good luck, faranlee!
My mom was skin and bones when she died. Some people get old and super skinny. She liked food but didn’t have much of an appetite. I cooked all of her favorite dishes for her. She couldn’t gain weight even though she tried to. She loved ice cream but even though she ate ice cream weekly she didn’t gain an ounce.
She has someone pick up groceries for her every week or two but she doesn't seem to use the groceries she has - like you open the cabinet and there are ten boxes of the same cereal, six packages of the same cheese in the fridge. She always had a sort of stockpiling inclination (which I think must run in the family because I have it too), but it makes me think she is not actually eating unless it's something that's served to her.
Is it possible to 'add on' assisted living services? If so, having an Aide pop in to prompt breakfast every day would be ideal.