I wondered if anyone else has this problem and how you solved it. My wife has started playing with her food rather than eating. Yesterday for lunch she had a quiche and salad. She ate the salad, then started cutting up the quiche and stirring it around the plate. I finally gave her a bite and this started some eating, but she ate only 1/2 of the quiche before stirring it again. Then for supper she had fish, rice, and zucchini. She ate the zucchini, then started stirring the rice and fish together. Again I had to feed her a bite to get her started eating. Twice a day I have a problem getting her to eat her applesauce into which I have ground up her pills. She just sits there constantly stirring it. Sometimes I just pick it up and feed it to her even though she is perfectly capable of feeding herself. This problem makes things a bit difficult at dinner, since we eat with others in the retirement Inn. Fortunately, they all seem to understand.
Marsh, my husband does the same thing....it is as if he forgets that he is eating and how to get the food to his mouth. Once I show him, he's good for four or five bites, then he will either stir it around or doze off. Then, when I scoop food on the fork and start it towards his mouth, he'll continue to take it to his mouth and resume eating for another few bites.
I think that they are losing the memory of how to eat, but it is a short circuit problem. I know that he would let me feed him (he'll open his mouth if I have food in my hand!) but since it is one of the few things that he can do, I want him to do it as long as he can.
We are down to four restaurants that I can take him to now...they know him and we sit in a booth so he has some privacy. He does seem to want to go out, so we'll continue for now for a while longer.
Marsh mine does it too if i am not there to jumpstart the process every few minutes. although he is also capable of feeding himself- as the day progresses he does well all by himself in the morning but during lunch loses interest and dinner as well. i have started helping him eat if he doesnt himself. i have seen a loss in lbs and dr says dont let it happen if possible. i rather would feed him than not get the needed nourishment if it requires utensils. lots of food they do better with by hand feeding. finger foods work best- some days are better than others. we take them with a grain of salt. your friends will understand if you must help her along. good luck, divvi
Jump starting! YESS! Not just with eating, but with everything. It's like a wind-up doll; it stops in mid-motion and you have to give it a nudge and wind it up some more.