Oh Deborah,
I know just what you are saying. Carl is like a bag of bones with loose skin hanging on it.

I don't know what his dry weight is now because he has been troubled with fluid since his hospitalization, but he weighed about 165 before all this.
Sad to see them shrivle up before your eyes.

Yeah it isnt a good sign is it? I noticed mom was in the rehab for only 6 weeks, and lost a total of 28 lbs. That is not good. I dont know what her current weight is, but since she never found her bottom dentures (partial plate) that she lost at rehab. She is now using that as an excuse that she cant eat anything but "cookies and milk". Yes she hasnt given up her cookies and milk thats for sure. But... how long can someone stay alive on that??? It amazes me.

Question: What is considered a drastic weight loss with an Alz patient, what is normal, and how bad does it get before there isnt anything to do about it?

Mmmm! on the other hand, Mom who is loosing her mental faculties at an alarming rate (understands nothing, speech is totally gone, can no longer walk) is gaining weight, although the nurses say that she constantly has to be prompted to eat and when she gets going she eats very little.

Ron's weight loss was shocking... over 100 lbs. His skin just hung from his bones.

It is just a part of it... body/brain shutting down.

Jim has lost about 20 lbs. just can't eat and last night as I was helping him with his CPAP mask I noticed for the first time his skin on his arms was just hanging there, 6 months ago it was still muscle. So sad to watch someone deteriorate before your eyes.

Same think here. Ken's face is really sunken.

wayne has last 10 lbs in 3 weeks. I have to remind him to eat but he says he's never hungry...

I was told that losing 50 lbs in 6 months is consider drastic. It is also a sign that Hospice is near.

Jim went from 184 to 148 in a short time. That's about what he weighed when he died.

The nurse that evaluated my hubby for hospice said they have to lose 15% of their normal weight and not regain any before being considered a failure to thrive which is one of the criteria for the program. My hubby really hasn't lost too much but since none of the drs offices that he goes to has a scale for a wheelchair patient I don't really know his weight.

Wow... sosadand, my moms primary dr diagnosed mom as "failure to thrive" months ago.............I wonder if that is the same as what hospice is wanting. I cried when we got that diagnosis, because I know it wasnt good.

Robs normal weight is 173 and height 5'11"
now he is 143lbs and 5'9" Shrinking all over right in front of me.....His Primary said let him eat anything he wants fast food, ice cream the works he said he needs some fat content NO Kidding

Wow, only 15%? Last summer he was 195 (5'10") and now he 157. Rollie's doctor said the same thing, let him eat whatever he wants at this point, whatever he enjoys.

Ron weighs around 126.....awful....cannot keep him in pants that fit....

Last night we were laying down together and he was on his side and I tried to put my arm around him, across his rib cage. I had to take my hand/arm off because I could feel his entire rib cage and it really spooked me. I wrapped my arm around his arm instead. It was like hugging a skeleton.