Weak after chest infection and not eating

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My mum with Alzheimer’s 83 lives at home and has 3-4 care visits per day so is maxed out there. Since last week she had a chest infection and is on antibiotics. Chest is much better but she is so much weak and not eating. What to do?

Infections seem to take the elderly like that, my mother has had a very poor appetite since getting norovirus two months ago. A liquid food supplement is a possibility. Antibiotics can be constipating so that might be another reason.

My DM (94) was hospitalised after a chest infection and lost her appetite. Her GP agreed to prescribe a course of steroids and she picked up and started eating well very quickly afterwards. Might not be suitable for all though.

@AInightingale
she thinks she’s constipated anyway but we have no way of knowing as she is still independent in toileting.

She won’t take the supplement shakes anyway and now everything tastes salty. only drinking water atm

Would she try these to at least get some vitamins and electrolytes? https://www.jellydrops.com/

@Cupofteaneeded
thanks I will try these (they might taste salty of course) but I’ll order some

I might try and get hold of some fortisip or fortijuice if I can find any locally if she will drink that.

I don’t understand where we stand re treatment? She won’t eat so will fade away. She doesn’t need a hospital or doctor and is taking her medication. She doesn’t want to live any longer as it is.

You should be able to get fortisip on prescription, also there is a Complan equivalent that can be prescribed. Might be worth asking about steroids but unfortunately not eating and drinking less can be a natural conclusion when the end is in sight, sorry.

The poor woman, it is very hard to see your mother like that.

But the 'salty' taste suggests it's something physical going on rather than a lack of desire to eat. Maybe just the lungs clearing post infection and the unpleasant taste is getting into her saliva? I know it's easier said than done these days, but maybe speak to her GP.

One small possibility would be something like Yakult: help the guts to recover from the antibiotics, tastes sweet not salty, it's a drink so hydrating, but some energy. And naturally come in small portions, so not so intimidating.

@AInightingale @Cupofteaneeded @nocoolnamesleft

thanks for all the suggestions. Will try GP on Monday for maybe steroids or fortisip. She won’t have the shakes and the salty taste has been a long term thing on and off

Your poor mum. Would she actually want treatment if she could make a decision about it? I know my dad who lived until his 90s said that he thought modern antibiotics were a curse for old age because they kept people alive longer than some actually wanted to live.

That's probably a good but awful thing to start thinking about

My mum went into hospital (early onset dementia) with an infection, developed sepsis and we said no treatment
I've signed an advanced directive that I don't want any treatment in the case of dementia or severe brain injury

I agree with you @fivebyfivebuffy My family are fairly religious (Catholic) and I know they'd take the 'preserve life' approach. My mother is in a care home, only really existing, withdrawn and very subdued mood (she's on ADs anyway), incontinent with mobility problems and poor appetite, she doesn't have any quality of life really, but I know if she developed a serious infection, they'd still be pushing for treatment. It's frustrating, who wants to be kept alive to descend through the depths of dementia? It's like the circles of hell.

It sounds as if you think she would be OK with life ending soon? It's OK not to move heaven and earth to prevent that.

Not eating is sometimes a kind of choice in the elderly and yes it only leads one way. It is true that this situation is potentially reversible as it's probably the pneumonia pulling her down and that things could turn around. But it would take a lot of doing. I would keep offering her hot chocolate, ovaltine, horlicks, a teaspoon of honey in hot water, anythingyou think she might like; plain old milk to drink is a lot of calories if she can take that. You could try her having golden or maple syrup on her main courses to sweeten them. But the thing about dementia is that she hasn't got the oomph or the decision-making ability to fight back. I would be at peace with it tbh and I wouldn't try and get her lots of treatment that would make her leave her own house to scary hospitals, draughty surgeries etc.

Does she like fruit jellies,my MIL enjoyed them when her appetite wasn’t so good.