Does anyone have any meal ideas for a father who is receiving palliative care? He has cancer of the parotid gland

Hi, I ma helping to care for my father who has cancer of the parotid gland. He is palliative and has a large wound on his face. He struggles with eating as unable to taste, has barely any teeth left to chew and has lost the use of the nerves down one side of his face making it droop and struggle to close his mouth. He is having Forti sips to try and get some calories in and we have pureed cottage pie and chicken stew into small meal bags that he can take out the freezer but looking for inspiration for meal ideas that might temp him to eat more. He drools and makes a mess so wont go out to eat

  • Welcome to Cancer Chat, CarerKY24.

    I'm sorry to hear about your father's condition and the challenges you're facing in caring for him. It's wonderful that you're looking for ways to make his meals more enjoyable and nutritious.

    Given his difficulties with chewing and tasting, focusing on soft, high-calorie foods that are easy to swallow might be helpful. Pureeing meals, as you've already done with cottage pie and chicken stew, is a great approach. You might also consider creamy soups, smoothies, and mashed vegetables or fruits.

    For more ideas and tips on coping with diet problems in cancer care, you might find this resource from our website helpful: Coping with Diet Problems.

    Hopefully other members with more ideas will come along soon to share their experiences and perhaps recipes with you.

    Wishing you and your father all the best,

    Renata, Cancer Chat Moderator