My dad is 92 and has Alzheimer's. I guess he's in the mid-stage period. He's still walking and toileting by himself and recently I had to bring him home from an assisted living facility due to financial reasons. He had lost 40lbs in his almost 3yr stay there. I'm trying to beef him back up. His appetite is great and he gets 3 squares a day plus a snack after each meal. Recently I've noticed he's been helping himself to the snacks. Tonight I made him a nice dinner and he only ate half and then asked me when the main course was coming! I told him that was the main course and that I'd be bringing him dessert in a little while. I was out of the room and I heard him the fridge! I walked out and he was getting a snack. I took it back from him, it was a yogurt of which I had given him one earlier and had a different dessert prepared for him. I asked him if he didn't like the meal I prepared for him but didn't get a clear answer. Now I'm wondering if he's "sneaking" too many snacks and not hungry for his main meal?? Any suggestions and or advice from anybody that has been through a similar situation would be most helpful. Thank you!
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it sounds like he didn’t care for his dinner since he only ate half and then was looking for something more appealing.
If the yogurt is a healthy one and not filled with sugar then I would gladly let him have that.
Just make sure the snacks are on the healthy side and you won’t have to worry.
And do check his weight out against a height chart. Not to make him lose or gain but to recognize when there might be a problem. My aunt is weighed weekly.
We worry about my aunt (92 with dementia) not eating properly and then we have to remind ourselves that at 4’10” and 150 lbs she is clearly not malnourished.
Sweets are also one of the things that the elderly can still taste, so I am sure that they are more attractive to his senses.
It can be disconcerting (and hurtful) when you take the time and effort to provide good meals and they are rejected, but at this point a balanced diet is much less important than getting enough calories to prevent frailty - nothing he eats at this point of the game is going to significantly change the outcome of this disease.