Been here and done this...

I owe  two friends of mine HUGE apologies.  While their family members were going through the late stages of dementia, they had a horrible time feeding them.  I made a lot of useless suggestions.  I was at the point with Mom that I could always get her to eat.  It might not have been what I wanted her to eat, or even how, but she always eventually ate. 

I have just spent over 3 hours trying to get Mom to eat a very minimal amount of food.  I have a long time to go before she has even eaten the equivalent of a small breakfast.  It hasn't mattered what I've put in front of her or how I've presented it.  It wouldn't matter at this point if it came with a floor show and a new car.  She just doesn't want to eat.  This morning I served her some scrambled eggs with cheese, a sausage patty and a buttered biscuit with jelly.  All of which she likes and is easy to eat.  I even looked the other way when she chose to eat with her fingers.  She picked the cheese off the edges and refused to go any further.  I tried to help her and was met with a fist raised at me and "I don't need your help".  I gave up on that meal.  Among other things I've offered some tapioca with protein powder.  No go.  I've let it sit.  I've tried reverse psychology.  I've tried it all.

We are back to the eggs and biscuit.  She just will not eat.  I'm letting it go for now, but it's hard to do when she's complaining that she hasn't eaten in 3 days and I'm trying to starve her. 

So, to my friends who have been here and done this, my sincerest apologies that I didn't appreciate the difficulty of getting someone to eat.  You have my utmost respect.