LO wanting snacks late at night

JM27

Hello everyone,

recently moved my dad in with us who has high blood pressure and borderline diabetic and have finally started his blood pressure and cholesterol meds as he was forgetting to take them.

He lived alone and would eat out. When he would Remeber to eat.

I have started to alter his diet now that he is here. But it is really hard to keep him from eating late at night or junk snacks.

I’m sure eating home cooked healthier meals will take some adjusting as fast food has a lot more calories ect and that is possibly why he is hungry later in the night.

Even durning the day he will start to rummage thru the kitchen saying he’s looking g for cookies even after he has already had two or more.

Any suggestions?

M1

Many people with dementia overeat for a time because they forget they've eaten and lose sense of satiety. I frankly wouldn't worry too much about the cholesterol or blood sugar, those horses are already out of the barn. He's got a terminal disease, let him eat what he wants. I would just control what snacks are in the house.

JM27

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/217564#Comment_217564

Hi M1,

Thank you for the advice 😃

Daisie

I agree with JM27. Let your dad eat what he wants. I hear my mom with MD rummaging for candy at all hours of the night and thought twice about stopping her at 90! She wants Starbucks daily now, and McD's, and I just let her within reason. Even her PCP said so. At least she's getting SOMETHING into her body since she really won't eat much else at this point. Her PCP even took her off her cholesterol meds because she said it was nothing she should be worried about at this point.

The only caveat is that when food runs out, I get blamed for eating everything around the house, and then she says I'm getting fat (I'm actually losing weight and was already at a healthy weight). It's taking everythign in my being not to be offended and just let it go (she JUST accused me of eating all the cookies as I write this), but that's for another rant!

JM27

Hi,

thank you for the advice. I think I need to learn to sit back and just let him be.

I was just worried about the high blood pressure and cholesterol due to new PCP stressing this and that needs to happen.

Thank you for your repsonse

M1

New pcp doesn't sound very knowledgeable about dementia. I'd keep looking...or challenge him/her a little bit. That's knee jerk advice that's not at all nuanced to the practicality of the situation (Im entitled to that opinion as a retired internist).

JM27

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/217653#Comment_217653

Hi M1,

I totally agree. Already in the process of new PCP.