Sigh... all of a sudden I'm a lousy cook... my mom use to love my cooking. Now she just spits it at me and says "your cooking has gotten worse". Ughhh she loved my chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy at one time... nope... she loved my spaghetti... nope it's all to salty... I add no salt... she even hates cottage cheese (which I don't make). I buy a lot of groceries and all she will drink is the ensure enlive... she is puréed now... any suggestions? I'm wasting my money buying anything but ensure enlive and ensure butterscotch pudding... I'm frustrated beyond words.
First - you must pick your battles and if she doesn't smell badly or look dirty, let it go. You can buy foaming bath cleanser that is no rinse - like they give in the hospitals. You can clean dentures/partials even if they don't want to brush. I have no idea how you brush someone else's teeth but it's coming.
Second, look at her tongue - is it white? Thrush Mouth is very common and the medicines don't get rid of the Candida Overgrowth. What you see in the mouth is the tip of the iceberg - it's also in the gut and ruins the appetite. A good Probiotic (must be refrigerated) and Now's Candida Support helped my DH to where his appetite came back. You can contact me by clicking on my name for particulars. But both of us are on them for about $30 month (that is $15 each)
Ok, now to the foods. Ask her what she wants. Ray ate nothing but Fish Sticks for months! And he wanted Hot Cocoa with Ice Cream in it! So that is what he got. I picked up Barleans Chocolate Silk Greens (nutrition) and I add a spoonful to every cup of cocoa - and I use Ensure as the base! It's all about getting the calories and nutrition into the person. Without nourishment, we all will perish. I bought Ghiardelli Premium Indulgence and Nestle's Rich Milk Chocolate and I mix them. Use whatever you can afford.
Here at AgingCare.com, I read that even a bowl of ice cream is better than nothing - if she'll eat it, give it to her. Ray went through an ice cream phase too - it's still food.
He'll be 96 next week so I do have some idea of what you're dealing with, even though we are all different.
Hang in there - we're here to help all we can.
Sit down in front of her eating her favorite foods. She may ask for some. Or, if you leave for a few minutes to answer the phone, she may take some from your plate.
Always sit at the table with her.
Mom also loves sweets so I stock up on pound cake and ice cream.
A lesson I have learned is to give my Mom a very small portion of whatever I make because larger portions overwhelm her.
As others wrote the more flavor the better. I guess people with dementia lose their sense of taste.
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