Anyone have experience with their aged parent not eating?
Mom has a parathyroid issue and as soon as she started taking the meds, she practically stopped eating. I know the meds are part of the problem.
She had surgery to remove the abnormal gland, but they couldn’t find it, so we are back to square one.
She’s in the hospital now and has been given appetite stimulant, but she still only eats probably less than a cup of food all day.
So far the stimulant doesn’t seem to be working and she has been prescribed twice the normal dose.
I am thinking she is at the end of life. They are sending her to a skilled nursing facility today for physical rehab, but if she continues not eating enough, she won’t have the strength.
We give her all soft food and ground up meats with gravies and things like that, and Ensure, but she has no interest in any of it.
I know we can’t force her to eat, but any other suggestions?
After talking to nurses and hospice and reading articles, I've come to realize that they get to a point in their lives that their bodies start to shut down so they do not care to eat anything. We do not force her to eat. WE offer the same things as before and if she wants any of them, we feed her, if not, we don't.
What amazes me is how long someone can survive with so little food. It has been tough for me to see her in this condition. She has lost a lot of weight, is bed bound, but is still mentally alert. Her vitals have been good. My Mother just turned 92 this month. I have heard some folks can last a long time without eating. We shall see. All we can do at this point is keep them comfortable as possible. Good luck to you..
Other fruits/veggies/nuts include fresh pineapple, raw squash(yellow, butternut, zucchini), cucumbers, an avocado, apples, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, lemons, broccoli, beets, walnuts, bananas, mango. I use just a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of different items.
When blender is 3/4 full, add enough water(I fill it half way) until the desired consistency. I, also, add 2 Vit C & multi B vitamin. If your mom has a favorite flavor, such as strawberry, use strawberry jello for flavor. Blend for awhile, so all is frothy and creamy.