Food

I am sitting here trying to figure out meals. Here are the main concerns with Alzheimer's - food, clothing and security. Isn't it interesting that at the end of your life we go back to the basics. And food in my parents house is a big concern.

At the beginning, before my Dad realized that she couldn't cook - this took him longer to understand then you would believe. And before she had help everyday, she would just tell me she was hungry all the time. She was not starving - because my petitie, delicate mother who always felt overweight when the scale went above 112, had gained 70 pounds. So we knew she was eating. But she would eat whatever was easy to access or was sweet. We would walk in to find a whole pan of brownies had disappeared. She would eat standing up and not realize that she had eaten anything at all. And instead of eating anything that would fill her stomach with substance - she just ate what was easiest and met any craving.

Next we hired Amazing Grace. Grace was a loving and gentle refugee who had recently moved here from Uganda. My mom loved Grace. She was lively and kind. But Grace cooked for an army and always cooked rice. Lots and lots of rice. Several Cups of rice each day. She even bought a large rice cooker. Unfortunately, my parents hate rice. My dad, the other stomach in the house - and the stomach that does the hiring and firing, was not impressed. He fired Grace.

Mirna is our fabulous, beloved maid from Mexico. I think MIrna is great. My mom loves Mirna. Mirna was an answer to my prayers - she cleans, bathes my mom, dresses her and they laugh and enjoy each other. And she cooks rice. Lots of rice. My parents hate rice. I was just sitting here trying to translate cranberry Chicken Salad from English to Spanish.

We added Meals on Wheels. It is a GREAT program. Sometimes they little happy smiles and faces talk to my mom and cheer her up. What a great program! Unfortunately, even though the meals are warm and healthy, mom mom does not like them. Lots of steamed broccoli. Most of the food goes to waste. The nice thing is there is always a supply of fresh milk in the fridge and sometimes I feed the leftovers to my kids and at least there is a food option, even if she choses not to eat it.