My mom is in stage 7 of Alzheimer’s..she has been losing weight each week but this week she lost 5 pounds..at lunch and dinner she eats about 30%..and ensure after meals..hospice said it’s the progress of the Alzheimer’s. I know that but how can she lose weight and still be eating this good???
If you were to get obsessive about it and count up the total number of calories she is consuming, and compare it to her Base Metabolic Requirement (which you can estimate based on her height, weight, build and level of activity), you may find that although she seems to be eating well - less than a third of her meal? It's good, but it's not what you'd call a hearty appetite, is it? - she isn't in fact meeting her intake requirement.
Or... Her gut might not be absorbing nutrients, her metabolism could have gone awry, or there could be other, new demands on fat stores. And is she drinking as much as she used to? Water is heavy, maybe she's a bit dehydrated? Don't worry about it, just make sure a drink is available if she wants it.
It's probably best to focus on the upside - her enjoyment of whatever she feels like eating and drinking. Don't you think?
Hospice is right.
Keep offering her foods she really enjoys, for the sake of her enjoyment. Don't obsess about nutrition or weight at this point.
Livehealthy.com;
A study published in the “Journal of the American Geriatrics Society” in 2007 examined hospitalized geriatric patients admitted to rehabilitation or acute care units. The researchers found that the average resting energy expenditure of these elderly patients was 8.5 calories per pound of body weight daily. However, researchers report that this energy intake covers minimal nutritional needs, and many hospitalized elderly patients would benefit from higher intakes. Based on these findings, a 115-pound bedridden elderly woman requires a minimum of 978 calories daily.
I don't think two-30% meals (or 60% of one meal) would supply more than 600 calories. Depending on how much Ensure is taken, she wouldn't be close to even the minimum mark.
Unfortunately, this is normal as the body starts preparing to pass away.
Offer frequent snacks in small amounts and favorite foods, even junk food (which usually has a high calorie content).