Navigating Dementia: Unpacking Eating Habits, Sleep Disruptions, and Weight Loss

Dementia is a complex journey, often filled with challenges that can leave caregivers feeling helpless. One such example is the case of a client's father-in-law who is living with vascular dementia and Parkinson's Disease.

At 83, he resides with them and his behaviors have raised concerns that are common among dementia caregivers. Primarily, he seems to have an insatiable appetite, eating around 3000 calories or more per day and yet, continues to lose weight.

His sleep is also broken, which, combined with his eating habits and weight loss, paints a confusing picture of his health.

To make sense of these changes, we need to consider the common traits of individuals who are in stages 5-6 of dementia.

In Stage 5, people with dementia usually need assistance with clothing choices for the day or occasion, often wearing the same clothes repeatedly unless supervised. By Stage 6, incontinence of bowel and bladder begins, and a person will require 24-hour supervision due to difficulties managing toileting.

However, understanding these stages and their manifestations led us to three focal points:

Environmental Changes:

As dementia progresses, people with dementia may make poor decisions for their safety. This includes eating inappropriate or even hazardous items. To mitigate this, we need to 'dementia-proof' the house, using strategies like child-proof locks on cabinets and doors, especially where hazardous items are kept.

Activity Levels:

The continued weight loss, despite a high caloric intake, suggests a high energy expenditure. This could be due to constant movement, such as wandering, shadowing behaviors, or repetitive movements caused by Parkinson's Disease. To maintain his weight, offering high-calorie foods might be necessary.

Underlying Medical Issues:

Sometimes, doctors can be so focused on managing dementia and Parkinson's Disease that other potential medical conditions might go unnoticed. It is important to rule out other underlying issues, such as cancer, that could be causing the weight loss.

Taking these observations into account, we realized that as caregivers, we play a crucial role in not only providing care but also modifying the environment and observing activity levels to ensure the well-being of our loved ones with dementia.

By dementia-proofing your home and monitoring his physical activities, you can create a safer environment for your loved one with dementia if they are having these types of challenges, alleviate some of your worries, and, importantly, continue to ask the right questions to keep them safe.

As we navigate this journey together, remember that understanding, patience, and adaptability are our strongest tools in providing the best care for our loved ones with dementia.

Read more:

How to Deal with Your Mother's Delusions Due to Dementia

Cognitive Decline: What You Need to Know

Disclaimer: These blogs, videos and any work done by Lizette Cloete OT, as a Member of Think Different Dementia, LLC, is given only as educational content and consulting work. This does not create an Occupational Therapist-Patient Relationship. The educational content and consulting work performed should not be considered medical treatment as an Occupational Therapist. The consulting work does not take the place of medical work normally performed by a licensed Occupational Therapist. Please consult a licensed Occupational Therapist for medical advice.

“Think Different” Dementia’s owner, Lizette Cloete, OTR/L graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Pretoria in South Africa in 1992. She and her husband emigrated to the USA in 1993, and currently reside in South Carolina. They have 2 daughters and one son-in-love, 4 cats, one dog and 16 chickens.

Lizette has almost 30 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist in a variety of settings, the latest being in the home health environment. Among her many accomplishments, she served on the South Carolina Occupational Therapy Association’s Board of Directors from 2008-2014. She enjoys teaching on the topic of dementia, most recently presenting at a national conference on the topic “Dementia Made Simple”.