My mother age 85 refuses to fix healthy meals for herself and my father who is starting chemo. They have always eaten a lot of fat and carbs and mom is a diabetic. Breakfast is usually a sweet roll, lunch is a hotdog or pizza or fast food hamburger. Dinner is usually better but very little veggies. I fully understand that she may be tired of cooking but she always has the energy to go to the casinos for gambling and dinner. I've been reading about the importance of healthy eating while undergoing chemo and have tried to talk to them about this on several occasions. I've even suggested that we seek help from a registered dietition. I think dad would agree to a better eating plan but mom steps in and will have nothing to do with it and he goes along with her. As with many people of that generation, Dad provided a living while Mom stayed home with the kids, cooked and cleaned.Dad has never cooked a meal and now he is sick and needs someone to step up and cook really healthy meals. I would gladly do this for him but I know Mom would throw a fit and most likely throw the food out. This would create a lot of hard feeling all the way around. They could afford to hire someone to cook and deliver meals but she would not be happy with this either. She is being very unreasonable and stubborn. She has a little confusion and forgetfulness occasionally but capable of cooking. I am very upset over this and feel it is causing unnecessary stress on all of us. This is the last thing we need. I only want the best for both of them. I feel it is absolutely important that Dad eat right to get thru this chemo. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
I've mentioned organic foods to my Mom [in her 90's] a few years ago but she turned up her nose, just the word itself made her not even want to know anything about it... even when I told her that is how her own mother use to cook, I still couldn't sway her to that side of the grocery aisle. Then I thought, she and Dad are in their 90's so they must have been doing something right all these years... even with Dad having cancer 20 some years ago.
You mentioned your Mom has the energy to go to the casinos, but is she doing that every single day? The casinos are her outlet, and it is great that she is able to get out and enjoy some times for herself. Those days will number down within the next couple of years as she gets older.