My mother is at end stage glaucoma. She broke her hip a couple days before her 80th birthday, had surgery, and was transferred to a nursing home for rehab. She didn’t show much improvement. I figured she just became afraid to walk again. After an 8 month stay at the nursing home, I finally removed her at her continuous and constant request to go home coupled with depression from being there. I had her entire older home remodeled to accommodate her new disability and went home with her to help care for her. At first, she would help in her transfers from bed to wheelchair to vehicle by at least trying to stand with help. After a few weeks, she gave up. I spoon feed her because of her vision problem. Lately, she has pocketed her solid food and spits it out later. That only happens with solid food. I give her her medication by crushing it and placing it in applesauce, yogurt, pudding, etc. and although that does the trick, she complains of the bitterness. She was unable to swallow pills and tablets anymore. It's bad enough she eats only about 5 spoonfuls of food per meal and she spits it out. She’s an extremely picky eater so I’m running out of options and hand cooked puréed food is something she doesn’t like. She sleeps a lot and when she isn’t, her eyes are always closed. At night when her dementia is in full swing, her eyes are wide open even in the dark! She is on at home hospice which is a huge help, especially when the CNA comes to bathe her in bed. My big concern therefore is her diet!
Oatmeal and french toast was the only pureed foods that any resemblance to real food. But don't use water to puree them.Try milk or some other liquid. Maybe even baby food fruits. But even those taste bad. I was experimenting with adding other flavors to the baby foods and was getting close when she entered hospice and passed.
Experiment and I wish you the very best in this.
I'm sure you're already onto this, but just a reminder that if you're crushing medications it is important to check that this is okay. There are meds which have to get through the stomach undigested in order to work properly, and those are the kind you can't crush - but your pharmacist can suggest alternatives.
I would also check with her doctor that all of her meds are still helping, and get rid of any that aren't doing her good any more. Just ask for a review of her whole prescription: anything you can do that makes her life more comfortable is worthwhile.