Elderly parent eating everything I can’t hide

Specific disabilities and conditions
1

My elderly Father, who’s 96 and diagnosed with vascular dementia, although mild in my opinion with his limitations due to his age and frailty rather than his condition.

However, he’s eating everything (food) that I cant hide, thus everything that has to go in the fridge.
It’s only since this coronavirus lockdown that I’ve had to remain at my Fathers house throughout and due to the online delivery restrictions and availability; I can’t keep up but even prior to the Coronavirus issue, I was forever visiting the shops, 3 or 4 times per week just for my Father.

When my Father use to accompany me to the supermarket, he would moan and grumble about the cost and the amount being bought.

I use to buy only Two 4 pint containers or Milk and One 6 pack of Toilets Rolls (amongst other things,) which would normally be sufficient and last maybe 10 days; where as recently, my Father has been consuming 24 pints of milk and using 18 Toilet Rolls within 7 days.

The most recent shopping delivery which only arrived on Friday evening: all items stored in the fridge have gone (by Saturday), 8 Custard Tarts, One large Apple Pie, Two large Tins or Evaporated Milk, 8 Pints of Milk, 2 Tins of Peaches, plus 5 Bananas and 5 Toilet Rolls ?

All other Food stuff, I have to hide in the spare bedroom, otherwise, he’ll just eat it within days, sometimes within hours, until its gone and with no regard.

My Father, has never been over weight and has alway been fit, active and healthy, currently weighing 8½ stone; even now, he’s still very agile for his age.

I assume forum members may have experienced similar and can offer suggestions of what I can do to resolve this or at least make things easier.

The more I buy, especially the milk, the more and quicker my Father is using it.

2

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/daily-living/eating-behaviour-challenges#:~:text=Overeating,things%20that%20aren’t%20food.

3

Thanks for the links, although I’m already aware of how my Father condition is and will affect him and myself; the Doctor is pleased my Father is eating.

I guess my only solution is to buy a mini fridge freezer for the spare bedroom, not tell my Father and fit a lock to the bedroom door.

4

Hi Dave,
getting an additional fridge sounds like a very good idea.

Is your Dad definitely eating and drinking it all? Only asking in case he is tipping the milk away and hiding or throwing away the food because he is confused. If he is using that much toilet paper and stuffing it down the toilet, I hope he doesn’t block it.

Melly1

5

I wonder about that too: my Mum had a trial period in a Nursing home, (they chucked her out after a couple of days - she’d lined up her peas on the edge of her dinner plate and was flicking them at everyone else around the table). :laughing:

When my sister knew that she was going back home, she restocked her fridge, everything was fresh and well in date.

My sister got a phone call that night from one of Mum’s neighbours because she was wandering around the village (in her nightclothes) begging for food. She’d thrown out all the food in the fridge “because it was out of date” :unamused:

6

My husband became very confused re food. One day he would say he had already had his dinner when he hadn’t, another day he would say he hadn’t eaten when he had! Confusing for him and myself and family. Your dad could be forgetting he has eaten? Brain not connecting to hunger?.
Don’t have an answer for you I’m afraid, but a spare fridge freezer locked away sounds a good idea. Anything is worth a try. Such a painful difficult time.

7

I assume my Fathers drinking milk and using the toilet paper.

He does appear to be hoarding random rolls of toilet paper in his bedroom and he’s always fiddling with pieces of it.

Also, I find discarded mugs here and there which look like they’ve had milk in and I seen him drinking mugs of milk and pouring it out.

In regard to the food; yeah, I also seen him eating or preparing a 2nd helping or eating again within 20 mins or his last portion of Apple pie.

I compare the Coronavirus issue to the Rationing during the war and he responds as if he understands, as he reaches for another Egg Custard.

It was also occurring prior to the Coronavirus lockdown but as I was visiting, it wasn’t so much of an issue or maybe not as noticeable, as I’d often call into the shops for his Newspapers and pick up provisions but since lockdown and whilst staying at my Fathers, it’s either got much worse or just more noticeable.

8