My mom is 79 and has mild cognitive impairment along with hearing loss. She was quite thin when I visited her in October. I just visited her and she is skin and bones. She attributed it to “healthy eating” since her husband’s cancer diagnosis 4 years ago. I checked the refrigerator and pantry. There was plenty of food in the home. I know they eat meals out as well. She did mention her doctor demanded to see her again in 2 months. I checked her medications: thyroid, a statin, blood pressure med , and a benzodiazepine. The drastic weight loss alarmed me. Any thoughts on drastic weight loss? If she has a diagnosis, she will not tell me. Directly asking her will offend and anger her. She has narcissistic traits. Thank you.
She may not be eating or it could be an underlying medical condition.
Can you talk to her doctor? If not, you will have to wait for the crisis.
Is her husband loosing weight as well? If not she may be getting him to eat but then forgetting to eat herself. I know there were many times when caring for my husband by the time I got his meal into him I was done, I just wanted to clear the table and get dinner over with. (If it took me an hour to feed him, after I got him cleaned up and ready for bed that might be another hour..and to sit down to a cold meal that I would have to heat up...)
I would certainly do so now.
I see here that Thyroid and benzodiazepine maybe the problem.
Thyroid- You are either Hypo, which u tend to gain weight or Hyper where you tend to lose weight. With Hypo, medication is given that will help reverse the weight gain. Maybe Moms medication now needs adjusting.
benzodiazepine, I would question this med. It lowers blood pressure and Mom is taking blood pressure pills. Does she seem a little out of it. Seems tired all the time. She may need this adjusted and her b/p meds too. Read up on the side effects of this drug.
Go with her to the doctor's. Get her to fill out a HIPPA form while there. Go in with her if she allows it. If you don't have POAs in place, get her to assign you and make them immediate. Not so you can take over now, but so you won't need a doctor's diagnosis of Dementia to be able to step in when the time comes. Being assigned does not mean ur at her beck and call or you are responsible for her physical care. Its a tool.