90 year old father with mild dementia losing weight no matter what I feed him. Is this normal?

Have you had his thyroid function tested? I lost 10 lbs earlier this year even while eating constantly. Turned out I have hyperthyroidism and my metabolism was in high gear. Meds have stabilized it.

My mother started to lose weight slowly about the time she was diagnosed with MCI after many years of maintaining a stable weight. I read somewhere the MCI memory impact also impacted the sensation of being hungry and the memory of whether the person had eaten a meal. When I paid more attention, I noticed Mom was not eating some meals and not eating snacks as she had before. I started placing foods in visible places (mostly on the kitchen cabinets), she ate them and the weight loss stopped. Mom loved fruit so a clear bowl of fruit worked or a cake under a clear cover. Prepared fruit (like melons) in clear containers in the fridge worked too, but a little less well than on the cabinet. She liked candy in candy dishes too. Eating meals with her or preparing something for the meal and reminding her to eat worked too. For days I was at work, I frequently prepared a plate and placed it under a clear dome in the fridge, then left a note with microwave heat up instructions or a reminder to eat her lunch. Sometimes I called her and asked if she had eaten.

angieszoo: Edited to spell your user name correctly. I am so sorry.

As we age, our taste buds can stop working, and as a result, the individual can not taste the food. When this happens, many individuals will stop eating; why eat something you can not taste. The last taste bud to go is sweet. Many times seniors can taste something sweet when they cannot taste anything else. I would recommend sprinkling some sugar or sugar substitute (if they have diabetes) and see if they start eating.

My mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2016 and has only GAINED weight ever since. Dementia has not caused her to lose 1 single lb so I can tell you that NO, it's not 'normal' for elders with dementia to lose weight. If the elder lives alone and cannot remember to eat, then sure, that can be a contributing factor to weight loss. If the elder cooks and eats the same low calorie meal every day, day in and day out, then sure, that can also be a contributing factor to weight loss. Same thing if the dementia is advanced & they have swallowing issues or refuse to eat but 2 bites of food at a meal; or only 1 candy bar a day, etc. But the fact of having dementia as a condition, that in and of itself is NOT a reason to lose weight, especially if you are feeding your father lots of food & he is STILL losing weight. Not normal at all. Plus, he's only suffering from mild dementia to boot. As llamalover said, if dad is suffering from cancer, THAT is likely causing his weight loss more so than anything else.

Please consult with his doctor to see what they feel is happening.

Good luck!

angieszo: As your profile states that your father has cancer, that could be a HUGE factor in his weight loss. I am very sorry to read that he has cancer. Perhaps you can provide him with high quality protein shakes, e.g. Ensure, Boost and others.

Yes it is normal.i have sever dementia.i eat and I'm losing weight as will. Going into the end stage.right now I'm in the late stage.of it . going into the thick of it .not easy .and I'm losing my ability to walk.and also talking.and etc.so yes it is normal.

This is a pretty good article (although it's from 2002) about unintentional weight loss in the elderly.

https://www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0215/p640.html#:~:text=Elderly%20patients%20with%20unintentional%20weight%20loss%20are%20at,gastrointestinal%20malignancies%29%2C%20cardiac%20disorders%20and%20benign%20gastrointestinal%20diseases.

I recalled, reading this, that my mom unintentionally lost about 10 lbs when she was in her late 80s, right after she had decided to stop driving. Her internist sort of brushed it off at the time and said that it seemed to be a pattern in older folks; his own dad was 100 at the time and the same thing had happened; he'd lost a bunch of weight with no discernable cause.

It certainly should be mentioned to the doctor and a workup done to look for a cause, but apparently in about 25% of the cases, no causal factor is ever discovered.

Dementia does not cause weight loss. Please get your father evaluated by a doctor. He may have developed diabetes or another gastrointestinal tract issue.

I’m caring for my 95 year old father with dementia. His taste buds seem to only tolerate sweets and everything else is yucky. As per his dietitian, I give him 4/8oz boxes daily of Resource 2 made by Nestle. It is the same formula given for tube feeding so it accounts for 💯 of his dietary needs and anything else he eats is just pleasure. He doesn’t have a G tube so he drinks with a straw. To be clear, this NOT a supplement, it is full nutrition. I would check with a dietitian for the correct amount your loved one would need. This has been such a godsend for me since I no longer have to worry about him getting enough nutrition and just takes one worry off my plate. He has lost no weight since we started a year ago not to mention not having to plead with him to eat! Just recently, we have been getting an equivalent from VA called TwoCal HN 2.0 which is wonderful so no more out of pocket for it.
Prayers for you both.
Lori

Older people do seem to lose weight and it's mainly because they don't eat as much as they use too.

1st have Dr check Dad out to make sure he gets a clean bill of health.

After Dr visit, start feeding Dad high calorie foods.

Add a can or 2 of a Meal Replacement Drink like Ensure, ect to his daily food intake but the ones with the most calories.

My Dad's Dr said they started feeding his Grandfather Brownies every day.

Old people can't taste like they use to and seems they Iike anything sweet.

On your profile you wrote: "I am caring for my father dick, who is 90 years old, living at home with age-related decline, alzheimer's / dementia, cancer, incontinence, and mobility problems."

He's 90, has cancer, and Alzheimer's. Not eating is normal at the end of life. Force-feeding him is not appropriate whereas pleasure feeding is fine. It may be time to get him a palliative care consult and talk about hospice. Focus on his quality of life for whatever time he has left.

he could have diabetes..he needs a full medical examination. there are many causes for weight loss.

No it’s not normal. Sudden and extreme weight loss without intention of it is a sigh of cancer, please check with your doctor immediately.

Not eating or reduced eating, is not a good sign. Please have him checked by his primary care physician. Buy some Boost or Ensure nutritional drinks for weight gain. Try ice cream and other treats. Make sure you eat with him. It helps a lot.

If he is eating healthy amounts of food, no it is not normal.

Bring it up with his doctor, for sure.

https://www.agingcare.com/topics/170/weight-loss

There are high calorie meal replacement shakes or puddings that you can give him that will help keep his calories up