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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Alzheimer's / February 2006Weighty Problem
I've posted how my mother is doing well in assisted living. Well she's doing so well that she's gaining weight. This in itself wouldn't be so bad but her mother had diabetics and my brother and I are concerned about Mom. I'm in the process of getting bigger clothes for her. She was a size 14 but is getting bigger. I had been buying cookies and having milk and juice available to her in her apartment. It has a refrigerator. I suspect that when she eats breakfast it's probably a roll and coffee rather than cereal like she used to eat at home. They don't serve a hot breakfast but always have fresh fruit and cereal available as well all the other breakfast stuff. Should I get more milk for her? I will get 2% if I do and my brother suggested sugar free cookies. Yuck... Maybe I should not buy any extra food but I don't want to be mean either. They serve very good meals, obviously and it doesn't seem that she eats that much. As I have found out when you get older it's so easy to put on weight and it won't leave with the diets that used to work. Mom always watched her weight before the dementia but of course now it's not possible. Mom's in very good health physically and as I have posted before is in her 13th year with dementia......June > I've posted how my mother is doing well in assisted living. Well she's > doing so well that she's gaining weight. This in itself wouldn't be so [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Mom's in very good health physically and as I have posted before is in her > 13th year with dementia......June June, you are very right to be concerned. I am a diabetic myself. DO NOT buy cookies and whole milk for her. Instead buy some apples, or those little individual cups with unsweetened applesauce in them. Sugar free cookies often are made with Malitol and as such can have gastric upset as a possible side effect. Sugar free cookies also have calories, and sometimes unhealthy fats. Juice is loaded with calories and carbohydrates. Also a poor choice. When my mother in law began to attend daycare they honestly tended to overfeed the people there. They served a huge lunch and a number of snacks and juices etc. She also developed diabetes in her later years. She gained several sizes over the years she was with us. How about buying those already cut up little bags of baby carrots and celery sticks to munch on? How about some almonds or other nuts? How about buying some Wasa crackers instead of bread? Diet ice tea or other diet drinks? I am sure others may also come up with some suggestions that are not heavily loaded with carbohydrates.  SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn (to reply to me personally, remove 'sox') > When my mother in law began to attend daycare they honestly tended to > overfeed the people there. They served a huge lunch and a number of snacks > and juices etc. She also developed diabetes in her later years. She > gained several sizes over the years she was with us. evelyn, i suspect that the diabetes was due to the cancer invading her pancreas (where insulin is made), since it started shortly before she was diagnosed. >> When my mother in law began to attend daycare they honestly tended to >> overfeed the people there. They served a huge lunch and a number of [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > invading her pancreas (where insulin is made), since it started > shortly before she was diagnosed. You know Dennis? I think you might be right on that! At the time we thought it was because she was on Risperdol which does tend to raise the blood glucose a little. But the pancreas is where insulin is made in the body, which makes sense in retrospect. She was diagnosed 6 months after she was admitted to the nursing home. Six more months, and she was gone. That type of cancer moves very quickly. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn (to reply to me personally, remove 'sox') >> When my mother in law began to attend daycare they honestly tended to >> overfeed the people there. They served a huge lunch and a number of [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > invading her pancreas (where insulin is made), since it started > shortly before she was diagnosed. exactly the same with a relative of mine. If I ever get diabetes the first thing I'll be demanding is a scan for cancer. SignatureTumbleweed email replies not necessary but to contact use; tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com >>> When my mother in law began to attend daycare they honestly tended to >>> overfeed the people there. They served a huge lunch and a number of [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > exactly the same with a relative of mine. If I ever get diabetes the first > thing I'll be demanding is a scan for cancer. Tumbleweed, don't forget there are TWO kinds of diabetes. One is caused by not having enough insulin, and the other is caused by the body not recognizing the insulin you have. A good doctor would check for the amount of insulin present, and there is a test for that. SignatureBest Regards, Evelyn (to reply to me personally, remove 'sox') >> exactly the same with a relative of mine. If I ever get diabetes the >> first thing I'll be demanding is a scan for cancer. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > recognizing the insulin you have. A good doctor would check for the > amount of insulin present, and there is a test for that. I knew there were two types, didnt know what the diff was. Cheers. SignatureTumbleweed email replies not necessary but to contact use; tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com > aybe I should not buy any extra > food but I don't want to be mean either. They serve very good meals, > obviously and it doesn't seem that she eats that much. As I have found out > when you get older it's so easy to put on weight and it won't leave with the > diets that used to work. Mom always watched her weight before the dementia > but of course now it's not possible. she may eat more because she forgets that she has just eaten. i've been at our local faciity and seen folks asking when dinner will come just 2 minutes after the kitchen staff cleaned off the tables! i don't think i'd leave snacks around, and you might ask the facility staff to monitor how much she's eating. remember, older folks don't need as much food because their metabolism is slower and they aren't as active. Also some medicines help us put on weight. Examples lithium, some antidepressives ... |
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