This picture was made in October, 2022. Shelley was having a good day.
See how large her clothes are? They once fit. It's typical for people who have dementia/Alzheimer's to grow skinny. Most of the people in her memory care are thin. They eat, but the brain functions differently with this disease, and somehow the calories fail to register.
There are some instances where caregivers fail to feed the person adequately. The person eats slowly, and time runs out. The caregiver moves on. This has happened with my Shelley, but I complained, and I think most of the caregivers try harder. The person with dementia must have time to eat.
Sometimes the person doesn't like the food. My Shelley always enjoyed spicy foods. Her nickname was SalsaShell because she loved salsa. The food in the facility is bland and needs more flavor.
I took her a package of spicy Doritors the other day, and she loved them.
She was also thristy. Who wouldn't be after eating a package of spicy Doritos? I opened a bottle of Boost and fed it to her. I keep Boost on hand, but most of the time, it goes unopened. Another one of those time things.
However, drinking and strangling is a problem, and I can understand the fear a caregiver has when feeding a drink to a dementia patient. There is always the possibility of aspiration. I worry about that, too. I know caregivers have a difficult job, but these patients get thristy. The facility has a hydration time in the afternoon, but I'm not sure how well it works. The faculity tries to make sure everyone gets water from a three ounce cup. It's not much water, but hey, it's something.
Another reason the dementia patients grow thin is the wandering factor. They are restless and walk a lot.
Shelley doesn't walk as much as she once did. Most of the time, the caregivers prop her up in the recliner. I understand this. She has fallen several times, and the caregivers worry about her falling. Sometimes they walk with her.
I hate to see her in her chair staring at the wall.
When you visit a loved one in these facilities, take something good to eat, and follow it up with a drink. Give them something they once had but don't get now.
They may not say "thank you," but they will be grateful.