It’s natural that we experience changes in appetite or loss of appetite. However, these can also be signs of malnutrition or other health problems. Seniors might not need as much food as when they were younger, but they still need the right nutrition to keep them as healthy as possible.

Understanding the Cause
Although some change in or loss of appetite is normal for seniors, other things can also cause a loss of appetite in seniors. Some elderly persons lack the energy to cook. Their taste buds also change so that eating is less enjoyable. Depression or loneliness can also affect appetite in the elderly. Loss of appetite can also be caused by certain health conditions. It can also be a side effect of medication.

If you find that your loved ones are no longer eating well, then consult a physician to make sure there is no underlying health concern.

Natural Causes of Loss of Appetite
As seniors age, their metabolic rate slows and their amount of physical activity decreases. Hence, they need fewer calories. Gastrointestinal changes or dental problems can affect appetite. Changes to the senses of smell and taste can affect how your loved ones enjoy eating.

Needing fewer calories (less food) means the elderly need more nutrition per meal than before. A lack of vital nutrition can cause major health concerns. Even more significantly, changes to appetite or taste can indicate some serious illnesses like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, thyroid disorders, periodontal disease, mouth and throat infections, and salivary gland dysfunction.

Ways to Stimulate the Elderly Appetite
Here are some practical tips to help your senior loved one get enough nutrition. Add healthy calories to the portions they can handle. Seniors won’t eat huge portions anymore, but they can benefit from a higher nutrient density in the portions they do eat. Try adding olive oil, avocado, peanut butter, etc.

A regular eating schedule can be beneficial. Stimulate the body’s hunger signals by slowly adding in a beverage and/or a snack during a normal meal time.

Oftentimes, seniors lack accessible or available social contact. Loneliness and depression can reduce appetite. Look into available meal options with family, friends, community or senior centers, and churches or temples. Also, check with meal delivery services like Meals On Wheels, etc.

Be sure you understand the side effects of your loved one’s medication. Some meds cause meat to taste metallic. If this occurs, try vegetarian sources of protein like dairy, legumes, or soy. If water tastes “off,” then try adding slices of cucumber or lemon.

Sometimes a prescription appetite stimulant will do the trick. Be sure to check with a physician to make sure this route is appropriate for your elderly loved one.

For more helpful tips on caring for the elderly, visit our senior home care blog.

Home Helpers of Lewisville is a locally-owned, trusted home health care agency and offers quality, compassionate senior in-home care services including home care assistance, personal care, companion care, respite care, Alzheimer’s & dementia care as well as homemaker services in Lewisville, Flower Mound, Highland Village, Lantana, Copper Canyon, Carrollton, The Colony, Double Oak, Bartonville, Argyle, Hickory Creek, Lake Dallas, Corinth, Shady Shores, Denton, and Coppell.

Approximately seven million Americans, many of them seniors, develop delirium during hospital stays annually. Although Delirium has no age restriction, those 65 or older are at the highest risk.

Delirium can cause lack of focus, delusions, and frightening hallucinations. These symptoms frequently are misdiagnosed and treated as Dementia, which results in incorrect treatment and, in some cases, admission into nursing homes where treatment continues but never actually addresses the Delirium.

Patients with Delirium are also subject to further risks: falls, longer-than-expected hospital stays, development of Dementia, and elevated death rate.

How does Delirium differ from Dementia?
Although Delirium patients’ symptoms may be similar to some symptoms of Dementia, they are two distinct conditions. Delirium occurs suddenly, usually changing as the day wears on. Symptoms may include agitation, inability to pay attention, lethargy and sleepiness, or combative behavior.

Delirium patients suffer memory and cognitive issues, frightful hallucinations, and some symptoms of PTSD such as anxiety, paranoia, or anger.

Symptoms of Delirium
Hallucinations are quite common in patients with Delirium — such as mistaking an MRI machine for an oven which will burn them alive. Sometimes patients distort things that actually happened into horrible things that seem connected in their delirious mind. For instance, a catheter insertion might be mistaken as a sexual assault.

Causes of hospital-related Delirium
Seniors have as great as an 85% chance of developing Delirium while heavily sedated, in ICU (intensive care unit), in surgical recovery, and/or on ventilators. Other simple problems, such as a bladder infection, can be exacerbated by hospitalization and can lead to development of Delirium. It is important that you make known to your loved one’s hospital care team or treating physician any altered mental status exhibited by the patient. While your senior may recover as expected from the initial condition that led to hospitalization, Delirium, once begun, can take months to abate.

Prevention is critical
Almost half of Delirium occurrences are preventable. Prevention, however, is often thwarted by a lack of proper recognition and diagnosis Delirium prevention is critical because of a dearth of good treatment protocols after onset.

Older adults are particularly sensitive to some treatments. Many Delirium cases are caused by such treatments as meds for anxiety and narcotics. Environmental triggers can also cause delirium. These include the noise from busy staff going about their tasks, overly bright rooms, and frequent interruption of sleep.

Some hospitals try prevention
Some hospitals try to prevent Delirium by striving to shorten the length of time ICU patients spend on ventilators, limiting the use of restraints, and getting patients out of bed more quickly. They are also taking more precautions with medication, especially benzodiazepines.

Environmental precautions taken by some hospitals include installing large, easily read clocks; keeping audible alarms to a minimum; and turning off room lights at night.

The bottom line
Delirium is serious and adds suffering to the recovery of a hospitalized patient’s initial medical condition. And sometimes, recovering from that initial condition takes far less time than recovering from Delirium.

If your senior suddenly starts showing symptoms of an altered mental status during or after hospitalization, then don’t jump, or let your senior’s doctor jump, to the conclusion that it’s Dementia. Make sure to have your loved one evaluated for Delirium. The sooner Delirium is diagnosed, the better your senior’s chance of recovery and survival.

For professional and compassionate assistance caring for your loved one, please call Home Helpers or visit our website today.

Home Helpers of Lewisville is a locally-owned, trusted home health care agency and offers quality, compassionate senior in-home care services including home care assistance, personal care, companion care, respite care, Alzheimer’s & dementia care as well as homemaker services in Lewisville, Flower Mound, Highland Village, Lantana, Copper Canyon, Carrollton, The Colony, Double Oak, Bartonville, Argyle, Hickory Creek, Lake Dallas, Corinth, Shady Shores, Denton, and Coppell.

To be a good caregiver, knowing the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s myths and facts is necessary. Because there is still a lot we don’t understand about them, it is not surprising that myths and misinformation have spread, and you need to be aware of them.

Myth: Herbal Supplements Can Cure Alzheimer’s
Fact: There are a lot of herbal products and supplements which claim to cure Alzheimer’s, but there is no scientific or medical evidence to support them. These herbal supplements have been the subject of a lot of studies but no definitive conclusion has been reached yet. It is unlikely these supplements will cause side effects that affect their behavior, but there is no evidence these herbs can help.

Myth: Dementia and Alzheimer are One and the Same
Fact: The two are not the same.

Dementia is not classified as a specific disease, but a collection of indicators that are linked to a decline or loss of reasoning, thinking and memory. Those with dementia encounter problems performing daily routines that they have been doing all their lives.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common types of dementia. It is progressive, irreversible and progressive. The exact cause is unknown and there is no cure. The need for home care for Alzheimer’s is it robs the person of their memory, leading to disorientation, confusion, memory loss and personality changes. These symptoms usually manifest during the middle and late stages of the disease.

Myth: If a Family Member Has Alzheimer’s, You Will Get it Too
Fact: This is not true. Yes, some types of dementia have a genetic element, but this does not mean you’re going to have one as well. Even if your parent or sibling has developed this condition, you can take steps to prevent it from happening to you. You can reduce your risk for instance, by living a healthy lifestyle, exercising and sticking to a healthy diet.

This doesn’t guarantee you won’t end up with dementia, but your risk goes down. By controlling your blood pressure and keeping your cholesterol at normal levels, you’ll be in better shape.

Myth: Red Wine is a Preventive Measure against Dementia
Fact: Home health aides are sometimes asked if red wine is good for people with Alzheimer’s, but it’s not. There are health benefits associated with red wine, but the amount consumed in typical social drinking is not enough to make a difference. Red wine contains a chemical known as resveratrol which offers some protective benefits. However, you need to drink about two dozen a night, which isn’t good for anyone whether they have dementia or not.

Myth: Head Injuries Cause Alzheimer’s
Fact: This myth is very persistent but again there is no conclusive proof yet. Certainly concussions among young and middle age people are a concern, but it is too early to link it linked to dementia. There are medical researchers who believe that concussions and other types of head injuries could lead to dementia, but until there is evidence to support this, it cannot be considered factual.

Myth: There is Nothing That Can be Done if a Person has Dementia
Fact: Dementia and Alzheimer’s are progressive and up to now there is no cure. However, it would be wrong to say that nothing can be done. With proper care and medication, it is possible to make up for the decline in a person’s cognitive functions. With the combination of medicine and personal care, it is possible to help a person deal with the symptoms. One of the keys is making sure the person is as physically and mentally active as possible.

Myth: Drug Use Leads to Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Fact: There is no evidence to support this claim. Drug abuse is unhealthy in many other ways, but there are not enough facts to support the view drug use in any way makes a person more vulnerable. More research is necessary.

As an in-home care expert, part of your responsibility is answering questions from family members concerning the disease. Doctors should have the final word of course, but knowing the facts and myths can go far in informing family members and putting their minds at ease.

For more tips on Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia or caregiving in general, visit our blog.

Home Helpers of Lewisville is a locally-owned, trusted home health care agency and offers quality, compassionate senior in-home care services including home care assistance, personal care, companion care, respite care, Alzheimer’s & dementia care as well as homemaker services in Lewisville, Flower Mound, Highland Village, Lantana, Copper Canyon, Carrollton, The Colony, Double Oak, Bartonville, Argyle, Hickory Creek, Lake Dallas, Corinth, Shady Shores, Denton, and Coppell.