two questions

[snowball]

I have two questions that I am hoping for help with
# 1 is the drs. suggest that my mom have several small meals a day I am sure this sounds overwhelming to her...
at this time she has meals on wheels bring her lunch 5 days a week she eats part of it for lunch mid day then in the evening eats the rest of it she rarely eats breakfast unless I'm there and ask if she wants a piece of toast...
so what constitutes a small meal? what are some suggestions you have
she gets full easy has a hernia the one high up that due to age they won't repair it ...so the stomach floats around into the chest cavity somewhat..
#2 years ago and am talking many years ago... she signed up for a time share for a place here in Vegas... we have perhaps used it twice if that every time she would call to make reservations they were full...so she quit trying but has dutifully paid each year... my brother asked me to go over and talk to them about how to get her off this contract guess it is... what do I do and or say???
Help!!!
sheila

[retiredhappy]

I have seen a company who specializes in getting people out of timeshares since I've heard they are reallly hard to get out of. Sorry I don't remember the name but do a google search.

Several small meals is anything she would/could snack on: half a sandwich, piece of fruit, toast, anything she will eat. Sounds like she needs to eat more. Those meals on wheels are not very large and if she's only eating half thats not very much.

[monik7]

I’ve heard of those companies too. You can Google “get out of timeshare” for ideas and companies. Sorry I don’t have anything more specific.
Sandi

[Bethers]

Does she like nuts? If so keep some available by her chair to nibble on anytime. Granola mixes work, too. Find healthy power bars in a flavor she likes. Open them and cut in half or thirds or even fourths and put only one section per little baggy and keep a bowl of those also by her chair. Some of them can taste like treats. I sometimes get the lemon Luna bars, for example, as a snack or breakfast when driving. Generally find out make very small servings of things that might be tasteful but aren't empty calories, without a few empty calories is probably all right if she'll eat!

As for the time share, if you call the places who advertise to get you out, remember you'll pay a fee. I found this link and it has some useful information.
https://money.usnews.com/money/personal ... -timeshare

[JudyJB]

Is she doing this because she does not want to fix dinner? Maybe family members can fix her dinner meals that need just heating or can be eaten cold.

I have irritable bowel disease, so I end up eating a lot of small meals all day. If I am busy, I tend to not bother, so I keep a lot of things around that are easy to heat up or eat cold. For example, Just now, for an early dinner I had two hard boiled eggs I have pickled with sliced beets. I also sliced a small cucumber and had it.

I don't know what the family situation is with some members living close by, but when my grandmother was elderly, we took turns taking a hot dinner meal over to her. (She complained if we were late.) She would call around to the two daughters and one son's family who lived within walking distance and would ask what they were having so she could pick and choose! But at least she ate.

Nuts are good for snacks, as are ice cream bars. My mother liked ice cream bars instead of containers of ice cream because she did not have to scoop it.

[snowball]

all good thoughts
I called the resort guess that is the best word and someone is going to return my call tomorrow
mom does like nuts totally forgot that... my dd is going to make her some deviled eggs as well as some hard boiled hope she doesn't make too many till we have the opportunity to see if she will eat them... she has gotten so she doesn't cook at all
as to having some one take her supper a good idea but we only have one family member in the town... and if I was to suggest it I would be reminded that they do a lot and they do and they live 15-20 minutes away as well has having children who are in school as well as some therapy (I think both are autistic though not sure) jobs my dd lives 60 mins away over a mountain pass and at this time she is doing work from home but will work in the office which is in the same town once a month and at that time she stays with my mom and makes sure that she has food ... mom simply has gotten to the point that she doesn't cook I think that the valve in her heart makes her too tired ... and she sleeps probably more than any of us realize.. but that is assumption on my part...
sheila

[JudyJB]

Doesn't meals on wheels deliver two meals a day? I remember that my mother had that about 20 years ago, and they brought her enough for two meals a day, twice a week. One meal was hot and the rest were cold but could be heated in the microwave. Would your mother heat stuff up?

Also, you might call the local agency of aging or county social services and explain the need to get someone to check on her and maybe bring hot meals a couple of times a week. My mother had gone through geriatric alcoholism treatment and lived alone in a very small town in a rural area. She had a social worker who visited once a week and also arranged for a volunteer to take her to the doctor occasionally. In fact, once when she had had the flu and was dehydrated, she was hallucinating about people walking on the roof of her house. My aunt was also ill, but she called the social worker who drove 22 miles to pick her up and take her to the emergency room. They diagnosed her as needing fluids and gave her an IV and a prescription for something to stop her nausea and diarrhea. Then the social worker took her to the pharmacy to pick the meds up and buy a bunch of athletic drinks to keep her hydrated. Finally took her home. You would not get that personal service in a big city, but in a small town, you might.

Maybe there is a senior center that could also give you advice. Medicare pays for home health care in some situations, so maybe talk to her doctor, as well, especially if she is losing weight.

[MandysMom]

You asked about small meals. What will she eat? Hard boiled eggs are good protein. Deli meat thin aiced and rolled around a stick or slice of cheese are good protein. From your description, she is lacking in protein. Cartons of low sugar yogurt. Precooked chicken tenders are small enough to be hand held and are good cold too. What is she willing to do, can she heat in microwave? Will she pull small bags from fridge and eat?
Velda

[Shirlv]

Sheila, would your Mom drink a small glass of Boost or Ensure a couple times a day?

[snowball]

boost or ensure not sure but best guess is no but one never knows
the meals on wheels is weekdays and just one meal a day
I hadn't thought about cheese and deli meats that is a good idea... my eldest dd is on her way up or there by now
she said she is bring up snack type food that can be by her chair she and her husband are staying with mom till Sunday it started out because mom is having the 2nd shot and concerns about the reactions thought it best that she not be alone and then this happened so hopefully she will still get the shot.. I am not sure if she has recently lost weight or not but wouldn't be surprised as I haven't seen her since Oct. I do know that she is really out of breath listening to her today when I called could tell that she was totally out of breath...with mom she will get the hiccups sometimes when eating when that happens she can't finish her food... it doesn't happen all the time just some times and she fills up really easy can't tell how often we have gone for say Chinese food and she will eat the soup and the egg roll and be full and if she isn't hungry she isn't going to go look for food... by her chair or in the fridge
thanks again for the ideas ... I haven't been able to wrap I head around some of the obvious
I did get the call from the time share and found out that it will according to this lady be relatively easy to do.. let it go into foreclosure they also have a company that will buy it back and guess that the person will get about 120... because the bill was due first part of the month she wrote a check this week to pay the yearly fees... so guess that going into foreclosure will have to wait...or she might decide to just sell it back to them... can't believe that is all she can get... or we can go with other company's and pay up front to have someone sell it for us... it's just easier to do the foreclosure and if the gal was being truthful they don't send people to credit people or collections
thanks again]
sheila