My mother has mixed dementia (alzheimers/vascular). We have had issues on and off getting her to eat. Recently she has been refusing to eat, she plays with the food and occasionally takes a bite. Once in a while if we feed her she will eta a few mouthfuls but otherwise she turns away. She was on aricept but it stopped working so we took her off. Her Doctor tried Namenda but she had a sever reaction. Her mood is fine and there doesn't seem to be any need for antidepressents. I do have medication for occasional agitation.

I am looking for any suggestions. We get Ensure or Boost into her as much as we can.

Janet

Dear Janet,

Thanks for writing. I can imagine how frustrating and upsetting it must be to try to get your mother to take sustenance. It sounds like you’re doing everything possible to encourage her to eat. You can try to continue with the mouthfeeding and doing your best to keep her hydrated. Provide her with pureed foods, and spoonfeed only a small amount of food on the spoon at a time. When the food is in her mouth, tell her to swallow. The easiest foods to swallow are soft foods such as chopped meat, Jello, applesauce, soft-boiled eggs, canned fruit and so forth. You can also mix crushed medications with these foods. Don’t mix textures, such as milk and cereal, which can be difficult to swallow. Continue with the Ensure and Boost, as well as smoothies. Feed her in a calm, supportive environment. Sometimes background music will help.

Continue to partner with her doctor, and have the doctor review her medical status. People with dementia stop eating for many reasons. She may have difficulty swallowing. She may have lost the sense of being hungry or thirsty. Sometimes a person has a concurrent illness and may resume eating when they recover.

I hope this helps a little. Again, involve the doctor in this process. You’re doing a great job with her, and clearly making a strong effort to keep her fed.

Please call us at any time to discuss this matter further with a Care Consultant. We can be reached through the 24-hour helpline @ 1-800-272-3900.

Sincerely,
Kathleen