my elderly mother needs to gain weight.?

Question

My dad passed away 4 years ago, mom's weight has steadly declined since...they were married over 65 years at the time of his death...any suggestions would be helpful

Answer 1

She is probably lonely. Start taking her out to dinner, or better yet, encourage her to start going out to eat with a group of friends a couple of times a week. With the entertainment and encouragement of friends, she is likely to eat much more.

It is hard to cook for just one person, personally I rarely bother to cook for just myself. Start taking premade (homemade) meals to her. If possible, split several dinners into individual containers, so she can freeze them and just take a different one out to microwave for herself each night.

Good luck to you both,
c-ya

Answer 2

Elderly tend to not eat adequately, so a supplement is best. Try Boost, Boost Breeze, Ensure, etc... If you really want to add weight, make milk shakes with Ice cream, Boost and protein powder from GNC. All this is in addition to eating regularly. However, remember, humans are there heaviest in there 5/6 decades of life, and than they all lose weight.

Answer 3

Well in order to gain 1 pound you have to eat 500 extra calories per day. I agree with the ensure, and boost, but there is also instant breakfast drinks, and if you make them with whole milk, and maybe a little half and half, or add some ice cream. Look at healthy foods that are also high in calories, like nuts. Ice cream, is good, and so are cheeses. Good luck.

Answer 4

Ensure is supposed to work well as a meal supplement. Is not she eating enough or could there be something else going on? You might want to talk to her doctor.
Otherwise, try making sure she gets balanced meals everyday. Meals on wheels is one idea there. Try supplying her with her favorite foods on a regular basis. My grandmother loved liver sausage (GROSS!). For some it's a particular meal or even a type of fruit that might tempt her into eating a little more.

The first thing to do, though, is consult her doctor. They might even be able to recommend a local nutritionist or resources for seniors.

Answer 5

I would go to her doctor and ask for Megace pills. It is the pill form of marijuana and it makes you have more of an apetite. Seriously. Also, try giving her sweet things, only if she's not a diabetic. Sweet taste buds are the last to die out on the tongue as we age. Let's see, we used to put butter on the insides of the bread on sandwiches. If they have taste loss, they can't really detect it but they are getting some fat in them. Good luck. your doctor will be your best guide for something like that, they have a lot of resources you can use.

Answer 6

try getting her to supplement her diet with canned "shakes" like Ensure or Boost. They contain alot of nutrients and will help put a little more calories into her. They do come in pleasant flavors and can be refrigerated so they are cold and more palatable.

This is given to many adults that are in nursing homes to help them maintain weight...even those with feeding tubes get this.

Answer 7

It is not unusual for someone your mom's age to loose weight as long as she is eating and see a Dr. once in while who said she is in good health. There are some drinks like ensure you can buy over the counter she might like them they are like a milk shake in flavors.

Answer 8

I have friends who are nurses and they always tell patients that need to gain weight to drink Ensure or Boost. They are shakes that have a lot of nutrients. I don't know how good they taste though. My friends tell their patients to mix them with ice cream to make it taste better.

Hope this helps!

Answer 9

I work in a nursing hom and we give the old folks boost or ensure to gain weight. If she is diabetic you can get resource shakes. One at every meal will do the trick if she is eating a little bit. Otherwise, 2 at every meal will work. Old folks need protein and this will give her the protein she needs.

Answer 10

Gaining weight doesn't mean getting fatter, it means that she needs to build more muscle. She should eat healthy meals 3 times a day and have some sort of physical work out schedule.