"But Dad, You Just Ate": How Alzheimer's Changes Appetite and What to Do About It

Once again this info is so helpful. My mom is in mild to moderate Alz. She loves chocolate and junk food. The only nutritious food she eats is when I get home and prepare dinner. After reading these comments I now believe that mom is also having a difficult time chewing meat and or is uninterested in it because it isn't junk or sweets. Thanks for the info it really helps to hear others situations and answers to this disease that changes ones habits on a daily basis.

I've noticed that my mum thinks gravy and parsley sauce and any kind of sauces are greasy. I feed her mini shredded wheat with cut up strawberries and banana and at about 2 in the afternoon I give her brown bread and tin cream of chicken soup, for dinner she will only eat fishcakes or corn beef however on a sunday she will eat chicken but now without gravy I have to drain it off her plate am I giving her the right foods I tried her on other things but she will not eat them. Recently she has also started getting me to buy her bags of maltessers if I take her into the shops she started grabbing at the chocolates she was diagnosed with glucose intolerance a few years ago but since being diagnosed with Alzheimers the doctor said to let her have what she wants she can feed herself and walk however her mental state is not good she hears things that is not there and constantly says people are in the house and that she is not going to hospital etc.The doctor says she has severe alzeimers.

Info on increase of eating-but still maintains weight. Was concerned

My mom is a chocolate freak too. She will eat that no matter what. The sugar on the food sounds like a good idea. I bet anything that if you read the ingredience in a jar of spagetti that sugar is one of them. I Know that they put it in some chilies so I dont think that is that unusual.

My mother overeats, eating constantly like a nervous habit. She is not gaining weight so that is not my worry. She is diabetic but she is 89 and stage 2 AD so as in the article, I don't worry about her diabetes. Her blood tests are ok, controlled with medication. However, she is eating us into a hugh grocery bill and frequently eating things in excess to cause herself diahrria. One too many whole grain wheat pieces of bread, apples or grapes. This morning I put out 2 bananas. She will eat those within 15 minutes of getting up. She then ate almost all of an cooked apple/raisin desert I had just made by standing over it at the counter, spoon in hand, eating all the time I was in the shower until she ate equivalent of 3 appleas in 15 minutes. I try to distract her, I try to have healthy things out -peanuts, whole grain cerials, fruit, carrots. But she will eat it all as fast as I put it out. If I limit what is there, like the bananas (I hide the rest) she starts hunting in the frig and cupboards. So I'm hiding more and more food and controlling what is out. She will eat a large meal which I make sure is at the same time each meal. Then get up and start grazing on anything in sight, or ice cream. After lunch she will immediately start on ice cream and after about 5 bowls, one right after the other go through half a gallon of ice cream in one day. I spend most of my caregiving time dealing with food and grocery shopping. We are on fixed income and I am starting to wonder how I will be able to control the grocery bills, and yet keep her happy and healthy. Am I the only one with this problem? Can you tell how frustrated I am? Trying not to control her yet wondering how to at the same time. Any suggestions?

I was so encouraged when I read that your dad eats and eats-my dad lost my mom 9 months ago suddenly-he has dementia/alzhimers/altered mental status- he has gained 40 lbs in 9 months- he neds to lose instead of gaining, keeps gaining, he falls all the time, never breaks anything and sometimes does not know who I am- the only child-or who his grandchildren are- I have to work andmy usband works night shift-so I stay at home in the morning til my husband comes home-so we are with dad most of the time-dad can hardly walk, he has sat in a chair for 9 months and done nothing, tried physcial therapy- he will nto do the excersies, he just wants to be with mom-which is out of his hands- I need a support group so I can hear things like I did, that some of these patients eat and some don't-dad does liket drink gin, and that does not help any of the issues, but he keeps saying you have taken everything away from me, please don't take the gin- I hope that someone will read my short story- (sorry it is so long) and help me with just a e mail of support- thank you Bonnie Lassiter bglassiter1@bellsouth.net

I have extreme difficulty getting my mother to eat anything, except chocolate. She won't do the Ensure or milkshakes - some days are a bit better, but she seems disinterested in food.

I've also noticed my dad only likes foods that are easy to eat. Meats particularly are very difficult as he has lost many teeth. Most afternoons I fix a milkshake with whole milk and an Instant Breakfast and then he has an Ensure Plus two times a day along with his meals. That way, I know he's getting nutrition even though he may not eat much of his meals. A health care worker told me once that they would put sweet 'n low or sugar on the elder person's food no matter what it was. Seems they would eat anything if it was sweet. I haven't tried it yet as the thought of sugar on spaghetti just doesn't sound too appetizing. But I may soon.

Dad also doesn't always remember eating a meal. My question to anyone who can help, he has Alzheimer's & also is Diabetic. Does the additional Sugar he got a way with also contribute to the forgetfullness? Cuz He's always hungry. tried different combinations of meds for both.

I've noticed that my mother prefers meals that she doesn't have to chew too much ie. soups,casseroles etc. When she has too chew foods like meats etc. she quickly becomes disinterested and stops eating. Smaller snacks throughout the day such as tuna fish or egg salad on a soft bun seems to be effective. Also she likes pizza.