05/01/11

Weight change is common among long-term care fa­cility residents. Any weight change in a short time pe­riod should be looked into, but weight loss is a special concern. It can be a sign of disease such as cancer (but cancer causes less than 10% of weight loss), uncon­trolled diabetes, or advanced dementia. Swallowing problems or mouth/tooth pain also can cause weight loss and often are easily fixed. About one-third of weight loss is caused by depression or sadness. Some med­ications also can cause weight loss, as can limited or highly controlled diets.

There are many ways to treat weight loss, including changing medications, treating depression, increasing physical exercise, and fixing dental problems. To pre­vent weight loss, it is useful to make sure that your fam­ily member/friend has foods he/she likes, can enjoy meals in a pleasant setting, and is treated for illness­es that can cause weight loss. 

Work with the physician to figure out the causes of weight loss and target ways to prevent it when possi­ble. In fact, improving your family member/friend’s nu­trition is a role you can play and a great way to spend quality time with someone you love.

Questions to Ask Your Physician:

• How much weight loss/gain is too much? 
• Are things like vitamins and nutrition drinks helpful? 
• What can I do to help my family member/friend eat more?
• What will happen if my family member/friend can’t eat on his/her own?
• Does my family member/friend have any diet limita­tions (like no sugar or low salt)?
• Can I bring food into the facility for my family mem­ber/friend? Can we eat meals together?

What You Can Do:

• Make sure facility staff know your family member/friend’s tastes (such as spicy foods or sweets), dislikes (such as garlic or fish), and habits (such as likes to eat in bed).
• When possible, eat meals with your family member/friend and help the person eat if he/she is unable to do so alone.
• Talk to staff about bringing in foods or treats your family member/friend likes.
• Tell the physician if you see signs that your family member/friend isn’t eating or loses in­terest in food he/she used to like.
• Tell your physician if your family member/friend seems sad, unhappy, lonely, or blue.
• Tell the physician about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines (including vita­mins) your family member/friend is taking.

For more information:

• Dining Innovations Can Serve Up Flavor, as Well as Nutrition: Enhancing Meal­times Also Triggers Memories, Improves Mood
• Causes of Unintentional Weight Loss
• Evaluating and Treating Unintentional Weight Loss in the Elderly

 

 

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