I need help...how to get my mom to eat?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice on how to increase my mom's intake of calories. About a week ago she was admitted into home hospice care, she has cancer in her bones and her liver is failing. She is on oxygen and various pills for nausea and bloating. Her current caloric intake is very low, about 300-400 calories per day. Yesterday was a good day, she got up to 800 calories. It is very difficult for her to eat and it always seems like a chore for her which I can completely understand, but she needs to eat to maintain the little energy she has, and to stay alive. Today she ate scrambled eggs (about an egg and a half), had some pedialyte, and a bite of an acai bowl. When I ask her if she wants me to make her something she politely declines. I don't want to make her feel like I'm forcing her to eat, but at the same time she's not going to make it for much longer if she won't . She also gets a metal taste in her mouth from some foods, probably remaining from the chemo she decided not to continue a month ago. If you had a family member/friend that also had this issue, could you kindly let me know what they were able to eat/what they found appealing? Or if you have any tips? It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

  • Thanks for this. Mam got a bad dose of covid about a month ago and lost her appetite. She's eating but only small amounts. I get three Fortisips into her a day and she's already put on nearly three pounds. She likes the McDonald's apple pie which is full of calories. Obviously I want her to eat healthy too but the important thing for now is just to make sure she's eating enough.