Adult children drop in less in winter because the drive is worse, so nobody sees the fridge. Someone who was managing perfectly well in September is eating toast for dinner by February, and the first anyone hears about it is a fall.
What to look for
- The same food in the same place as last time.
- Milk past its date. Bread with mould. A drawer of soft vegetables.
- Lots of one thing: crackers, biscuits, cereal. Things you can eat without cooking.
- Very little in the bin.
Why it matters
Unintended weight loss in older adults is worth taking seriously. It often arrives with weakness, dizziness, falls, and confusion that looks like dementia and sometimes is not.
What we do about it
Caregivers cook and leave real meals, not just put groceries away. They note what was eaten between visits. If the pattern is wrong we tell you and we suggest a change in the plan, which is often just more visits at mealtimes for a few weeks.
