Dear Mary,
My Dad is starting to have memory issues and one thing that has changed is that he will not stop eating. He forgets that he just ate and eats everything in sight. He is a small man and does not seem to gain weight, but this is very strange. What should I do?
Beth
Hi Beth:
The first thing to do is to create a journey or a log of the things that you notice him doing that you think are odd. It is a great way to keep track of things and will be a good document to show his doctor. His behavior may change in other ways too, so watch for any changes and begin to document them.
I also suggest that you make an appointment with his doctor to see if everything is ok. There may be other reasons why he is eating so much, things that you may not have considered.
I don’t believe that there is much point in reminding your Dad that he has already eaten. He will forget what you say, so no point in telling him over and over again. And don’t yell at him for eating too much. He will not understand why you are mad.
Keep healthy foods in the house and if you are going out, make sure to have something simple and easily accessible for him to grab and eat. The last thing you want is for him to decide to cook something, even soup from a can might be too hard for him to make. He may forget to turn the stove off.
This may be a “fork in the road”, a new journey is beginning.
Mary
