My mother has started eating constantly. Part of it is memory loss -- she can't remember that she's already had breakfast, for example. But lately, as soon as she finishes eating something, she looks for more, especially sweets. I try to keep her busy and I set out healthier snacks but I'm worried about this change. Today she pulled a pasta dash (last night's dinner) out of the frig, spooned some of it onto a paper towel and ate it cold, with her fingers. Has anyone else experienced this?
What a terrible disease which destroys your brain, your mind, and your dignity.
Lily, I totally understand what you’re going through.
After he left this world, they put masking tape on the spots on the walls that needed to be touched up with paint Apparently, when they tried to do it before, he attempted to eat the masking tape, and he was relentless in his pursuit of food.
She's 101, much heavier than she's been in her adult life, probably diabetic, etc.....and still going strong.
Prior to her entering MC a bit over a year ago, I removed all the cookies, crackers and chips out of the house. We had no pies or cakes. She loved hot cocoa and she ate fruits throughout the night. Bread surprisingly was not an issue, she had a half slice with peanut butter for breakfast and didn't want it at night. The only leftovers at night were protein or vegetables (no pasta or rice).
My motto was, only keep it around if it has nutritional value (she made her hot cocoa with milk).
He liked to eat so for breakfast for example I would give him oatmeal then an hour or 2 later I would give him some fruit, then about 2 hours after that he would have lunch and again I would give him some soup then later a sandwich or some yogurt and fruit.
As he declined and slept more I moved his larger meal to the morning that way I was sure he would finish most of it. Whenever he was awake I would offer fruit, yogurt or other snack. (again as he declined I had to eliminate a lot of fruits that were "slippery" so that he would not aspirate anything as a result most fruit was pureed by then. At that point I began pureeing all foods)
You do have to watch for any item that looks like food.
I stopped putting up my Christmas tree because my Husband would try to eat ornaments that looked like food or candy. I had to watch him in stores that had "fruit displays" that were fake fruit, I found him trying to eat a fake apple and he had a fake banana and fake orange in his pocket.
Leave out healthy items and let her "find" that, lock up other foods. There are magnet locks you can get for cabinets, child proof doorknob covers and latches for refrigerators.
Good luck to you.
You can leave some fruit or a limited amount of some other healthy snack where she can get it, but make sure it is portioned out and limited.
You should also make sure things like toothpaste, mouthwash, body products like lotions and bath gels are where she cannot get to them. This also applies to scented candles and other air-freshening products. Especially if these things are food scented like vanilla, strawberry, etc... because she will eat them.
I had a client with dementia who would eat anything. One of the other aides who worked on the case put out one of those standing, cone-shaped air-fresheners on the table because the house always stank of incontinence. I came in for my shift and the client has all red on her face and hands. She ate the air-freshener. Fortunately, she was fine. I called the poison control and she was fine.
If your mother is at the point where she's eating continually, you have start baby-proofing and locking things up.
Rarely this can be a problem with frontotemporal dementias, and patients fail to recognize any feeling of being "full". There has been serious problems for some with binging.
I would watch, and discuss with your Mom's MD at next appointment. Sure wish you luck.