Not eating , can the reason be because of knowing what lyes ahead ?

@Sophietucker : How advanced is your DW? If she is in the later stages of dementia, I doubt she would have the cognitive ability to remember to limit her food intake.

When my DW was in late stage 6 she began not to be able to feed herself. She would use her silverware to move her food around and even off the plate and on to the table. But she seemed to fail to understand how to use them to get food into her mouth. She would take her glass of liquid and pour it over her plate of food, again not understanding the act of drinking from a glass. She could take, say a cookie, you handed her and then properly eat that, but she could/would not take one off a plate and then eat it. It was at this point she began to need to be hand fed, first just being handed things but soon needing to be given food by silverware to her mouth. I know this sounds crazy, but she was still physically capable of feeding herself, but not mentally capable.

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that dementia is a terminal illness. Please understand that I am asking you these questions to be help you think through your situation and not to judge you. Why do you want her to eat more? If she is well-nourished, she will live longer. If she lives longer, she will suffer more. There is nothing good about the late stages of dementia.

In the earlier stages my DW reduced her food intake and lost about 20 pounds. It seemed to be a combination of depression due to awareness of her disease, and a disruption of brain signals reminding her that she was hungry and needed to eat. I had to keep track for her but she would only eat 3-4 different types of food. Similar to TimmyD, as my DW has moved well into stage 5 her sweet tooth has taken over and she has gained back most of what she lost. I still make sure she gets healthy food, but I don’t try to dissuade her from her love of ice cream because it’s one of the few things that bring her joy and contentment.

@Sophietucker

None of the PWD I ever met were that altruistic. Empathy is generally an early loss in the disease process.

Eating habits do change. Often people who were the meal preppers just don't anymore. My friend's mom used to rule the kitchen, even after my friend moved mom in with her. But after a time, mom not only stopped preparing meals, but she also couldn't manage preparing a snack from a fridge stocked with grab'n'go options. Some may eat if prompted and provided something easy to eat. Sometimes PWD don't perceive hunger and need to be tempted with preferred foods (which may be new to you) or treats like milkshakes.

Sometimes PWD seem to go off eating for a time and then bounce back to their normal appetites. My one aunt did this several time in the later stages. The doc at her CCRC said this was common for PWD who are under the weather.

Another thing to consider is dental health. Sometimes PWD have a dental problem that impacts their comfort eating that needs addressing. When my other aunt went off eating in an earlier stage, it turned out she had a molar that had fractured and become infected. Once that was treated, she went back to her baseline for eating.

You can find staging tools here-

Tools for assessing dementia progression — Tam Cummings, PhD

I like DBAT for comparing symptoms/behaviors and stages. You mention that your wife was only diagnosed in 2024 which was not long ago. I wonder if she's one of those people who not only showtimes during appointments but also comes to dementia with substantial cognitive reserve which might mask her disease progression. My own dad was a bright and well-educated person who could showtime like there was an Oscar in it for him. I always had a sense he was further along than he was, and I was right.

HB

In the early stage of my DH Alzheimer's, when he still knew he had the disease, he refused to eat for a time. When I questioned him, he admitted that he was trying to starve himself. His mother had died of Alheimer's and he knew what lay ahead. That didn't last too long though and he finally started eating again.