He eats constantly, and out of boredom (I believe) looks for more food all the time throughout the day and night especially. We have ended up with a mouse in the house so his leaving food out everywhere has made this worse, plus we can't eat anything due to his over eating. Groceries are getting expensive every other day....etc....help?
If the latter, is there something he loves, that is "relatively inexpensive" make, that can be put in separate containers in fridge for him to grab and heat? Chili? Lasagna? Beans with chips? Something he can help you prepare for him?
It is hard in these tough times when things are so expensive to come up with much other than popcorn for snacks, and the digestive systems of elders (mine included) often aren't receptive to some of that stuff.
I sure wish you luck. Prezels from costco, as well as tortilla chips come in massive bags for a few bucks. I sure hope others have ideas for you.
sometimes a side-effect of certain medicines is feeling hungry all the time.
sometimes it’s a phase that lasts a few weeks/months, then goes away.
we locked things up.
we also got rid of certain medicines.
the hungry phase lasted a few weeks.
normal and good appetite now.
Put locks on the cabinets and on the fridge. Also is there an area of the house he doesn't go in? Like the basement or your bedroom? You should buy yourself a little dorm-room fridge for your bedroom so you can keep some things around that you want. Like egg nog ice cream.
Believe me you're going to end up with worse than a few mice if you allow this situation with food all over the place to continue. You will get roaches and they are very difficult and very expensive to get rid of.
I've worked in elder homecare for a very long time. I have had many clients who became obsessive/compulsive eaters from dementia. The families had to put locks on the cabinets and on the fridge. When their demented loved ones were no longer allowed to eat 24 hours a day, they adapted to only being fed at meal times only or when someone gave them a snack.
Put locks on the cabinets and the fridge.
Leave out healthy things like apples, oranges and a few other snacks that you can control.
There are locks for refrigerators.
There are hidden locks (magnetic ones) that you can put on cabinets so that he can not get into food that is in a pantry or cabinet. (for a pantry use a simple hook and eye lock and place it very high up, most people do not look up)
2 Things can happen with dementia.
1. They forget to eat so there are missing meals and spoiled food left.
2 They forget that they have eaten so they continue to eat.
It is possible that it is boredom.
Is he able to go to Adult Day Program? That will give him something to do, keep him active and engaged.
Who is watching him during the day? Can they get him out for a walk? Go for a ride? I realize at some point getting out is difficult and can get dangerous. But if it is safe it will give him something to do.
Just like all of us if he consumes more calories than he uses he will gain weight. This can make caring for him more difficult in the future. Trying to help a 180 pound person up out of a chair or into the car is difficult enough but if that person is 250 it is more difficult. And dangerous for both the care giver and the recipient.
A person in my household is suffering from anorexia, so at home we have to do the opposite. That is hard too.
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/daily-living/overeating-dementia
Here is a brief list of suggestions, but there are many more links to click on if you go directly to the site linked above:
Ways to help manage overeating
Ensure that the person has something to do, so that they don’t feel bored or lonely.
Divide the original portion into two and offer the second one if the person asks for more.
Fill most of the plate with salad or vegetables.
Make sure the person is well hydrated as they may be mistaking thirst for hunger. Ensure they have a drink with their meal if possible.
Leave bite-sized fruit or healthy snacks, such as chopped bananas, orange segments or grapes, within reach for the person to snack on when they want to.
Offer the person a low-calorie drink instead of more food.
Consider not having certain foods in the house, or substituting them with low-fat or low-calorie versions.
If the person has developed a strong preference for particular foods, and is not eating enough of other foods, or if they are struggling with excess weight gain, ask the GP for referral to a dietitian.