Caring for a loved one with dementia presents numerous challenges, especially in the later stages of the disease. One particularly distressing issue is when individuals with dementia begin to eat and drink less, or stop altogether. This behavior can be alarming for caregivers and family members, raising concerns about health, comfort, and life expectancy.
We'll explore the reasons behind decreased appetite in dementia patients, the potential health implications, and practical strategies caregivers can employ to support their loved ones during this phase.
What Health Problems Can Occur from Lack of Nutrients and Water?
Dehydration
Dehydration can be a severe problem for people with late stage dementia. Without enough water or other fluids, their body will not be able to function properly - they will experience weakness, confusion, an elevated heart rate, and even potential organ failure.
Weight Loss
By not eating enough to sustain themselves, patients with dementia can experience significant weight loss. This can have an impact on the immune system, and make it more difficult for the patient to fight other infections and illnesses that they might experience. Weight loss can also make it more likely for them to suffer a fall, and make it more complicated for them to live independently.
How to Help a Person With Dementia Who Won’t Eat or Drink
Loss of appetite is a natural part of growing older, and for many with dementia, a reduction in eating and drinking is not a problem. But it is important to ensure that your loved one is still receiving adequate nutrients and fluids, as mentioned above.
People with dementia should be encouraged and helped to continue eating and drinking normally for as long as possible, even if the amounts are significantly reduced. Here are a few ways you can help someone with dementia eat or drink:
- Use high-contrast crockery to make food easier to see.
- Place drinks directly into their hands if motor skills are declining.
- Adjust to changing tastes. Sweet or strong flavors may be preferred.
- Offer finger foods or smoothies if utensils become difficult.
- Minimize distractions to help them focus on eating.
- Create a calm, comfortable setting to encourage mealtime participation.
Should You Use a Feeding Tube or IV for a Dementia Patient?
Artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) is the catch-all term for any form of feeding or hydration that does not go through the mouth. This can be tubes directly to the stomach, intravenous drips, or several other methods.
ANH does take care of the problem of a patient with dementia refusing or being unable to eat or drink, in that it provides vital fluids and nutrition to keep them alive. However, it often does far more harm than good.
ANH doesn’t prevent choking, coughing, or water and food going down ‘the wrong way’ into a patient’s windpipe. It can cause infections, as patients with dementia will often attempt to remove tubes or drips themselves, causing damage. It does not prevent weight loss, and can significantly reduce a loved one’s independence and quality of life.
Most people decide against ANH and most experts will advise against it. For example, the General Medical Council in the UK recommends that patients with end-stage dementia not be fed through a tube, as it requires hospital admission and can be risky in other ways.
Will my loved one die from starvation or dehydration?
As loved ones with dementia age, and the disease progresses, their food and drink requirements are significantly reduced. Their activity level will have decreased drastically, and as they are using less energy they will require less sustenance and hydration.
During end-stage dementia, reduced food and drink intake merely becomes part of the ‘natural’ process of end of life. Your loved one is not dying from starvation or dehydration, their body is merely adjusting to the situation it finds itself in. It’s common for a dementia patient not eating and sleeping all day to be in the final stages of the disease, where energy needs and awareness decline naturally.
Dehydration: Without enough fluids to function properly, dehydration causes confusion and weakness in dementia patients.
Malnutrition: Insufficient nutrient intake weakens the immune system, increases fall risk, and exacerbates cognitive decline.
Weight Loss: Significant weight loss can lead to frailty, pressure sores, and decreased mobility.
Is my loved one with late-stage dementia suffering?
The most common and important preoccupation for caregivers is that their parents or relatives with dementia are not suffering. This is why self-education is so important. Understanding that a loss of appetite is a normal, natural part of dementia, and that people with dementia tend to require far less food and drink to function, can help family caregivers process and deal with these changes.
In the vast majority of cases, people with dementia who eat and drink less will not be in pain or suffering. It is always worth ascertaining whether the loss of appetite is normal, or caused by some external issue, and you may want to check with a physician to rule out other issues. In general, however, the best thing to do is ensure that your loved one is comfortable, be supportive and affectionate, and make sure that they have access to the foods that they do still want to eat.
Consider hiring help
Caring for loved ones with late-stage or end-stage dementia can be challenging and traumatic, and it is often a sensible idea to hire help. Senior Helpers provides a wide range of in-home care services, as well as end-of-life care. Senior Helpers caregivers will work closely with you to help keep your loved one as comfortable as possible as they make this transition, and support you and your family so that you can focus on spending quality time with your loved one during their final days. Discover more information about the services we provide on our website.
When to get help
While loss of appetite in late-stage dementia is normal, there are cases where urgent help is needed, and it is important to watch out for the warning signs. Call 911 if you see any of the following signs or symptoms:
- Dark yellow/brown pee
- Sunken in eyes
- High-fever
- Vomiting
- Fast heart rate
- Erratic breathing
- A more sudden change that doesn’t seem to be due to the dementia
Changes in the behavior of a loved one with dementia can be extremely troubling, and a loss of appetite is one of the most concerning aspects of the disease for many caregivers. Helping and supporting a loved one during end-stage dementia can be tremendously challenging, which is why services like Senior Helpers are so important.
To find out more about what we can offer you and your loved ones, get in touch today, and our customer service team will be delighted to help with whatever queries you have.
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Start today by setting up your FREE in-home assessment or contacting our office to speak with a Senior Helpers elder care expert to learn more. Senior Helpers is proud to serve the beautiful Florida community of Winter Park and to be a member of its Chamber of Commerce.
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