How do I get my dementia patient to eat?
People with dementia often become depressed and just lose their appetites. Ask his doctor about this concern as there are medications to stimulate appetite. If he will exercise with you it may help his muscle mass as well as lifting his spirits.
When my mother who suffers from mixed dementia (AD and vascular) refuses to eat 'normal' food, I make Ensure ice cream (1 bottle of chocolate hyperproteinated Ensure, 2/3 cup heavy cream, 4.5 ounces melted semisweet chocolate chips and a tbsp cinnamon) in a home ice cream maker. She never refuses ice cream. I also make fudge with whey protein powder added to it (1 can sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 2 scoops of powdered whey protein, 1 cup walnuts and 1 tbsp almond extract all melted together and put in the fridge for an hour to set). I set 'traps' around the house with the fudge. Then I offer 'normal' food... If she eats it, fine, if not, I know she has enough proteins and minerals. Four years into Mum's dementia, my experience tells me not to insist, but just to work around the problem (and hope for the best). As for medication to stimulate appetite, I would love to know which one since my mother's doctor just shrugs off the problem and suggests that her patient be put into long term care.
