My Nan won't eat, she has dementia?!

Question: My Nan won't eat, she has dementia?

My Nan has had dementia since 2008, and one year she was rushed to hospital and wouldn't eat. When she was discharged from hospital, she started eating and everything was fine. Now it's back to the start, she won't eat anything, and my whole family is getting worried. She will eat a few bites of whats given and sometimes she shocks us by eating quite a lot. She doesn't tell us what she likes, and claims food makes her ill. She is also a chain smoker, and gets extremely aggressive if she doesn't get her fags.

I need to know exactly how to deal with my Nan, we have many times told her that she will be go back into hospital, this scares her a lot before dinner, but while she eats it, she says don't tell the doctor.

We also have got in touch with a doctor, and they didn't really care.

Answers:

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sorry i cant think of much and what i come up with will probably be quite basic but hope it helps
1 offer her different foods / choices regularly not just at mealtimes
2 Use things like full fat milk in drinks butter instead of spread and buy full fat products cream in puddings
3. did you know you can get supliment drinks ensure - you could ask your doctor or a dietician about these if she doesnt have them already they come in different flavours and are like a milkshake although you could heat the vanilla one up and put it in coffee these have a lot of calories in them and can help if reluctant to take meals
4. even if she doesnt eat much make sure she takes regular fluids

if your doctor wasnt that helpful why not try seeing a different one and ask about getting your gran reffered to a dietician if she hasnt been already because she might be able to give more advice
good luck and hope i helped

I've seen this happen with relatives with both Alzheimer's and dementia. It's very common for them to slowly reduce the amount they eat and eventually refuse to eat.

Try to feed her as often as possible (like you'd feed a child). Once food is no longer appealing, try to have her drink Ensure (or other liquid nutrition) to at least get some nutrients and vitamins.

Please also see another doctor, preferably one who is used to treating elderly folks (geriatric care doctor). If her doctor doesn't care, find another one that will.

Good luck.

http://www.wecareforelderlyparents.com
http://www.alz.org

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My Nan won't eat, she has dementia?!

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