Advice re nutrition and supplements to build muscle in frail DH

PS peanut butter on toast or in sandwiches with marmalade. My favourite.

A banana in milk in a liquidiser to make a milkshake with grated chocolate on the top. Add grated cheese to mashed potato and cream in soup. Thicken vegetable soups with liquidised baked beans and mashed potato.

I found the Macmillan Build up diet very useful myself when I needed to put on weight. It can be found on their website.

The idea is to eat lots of small high calorie meals. Lots of cheese, butter, cream. I had cheese on thickly buttered cream crackers, tinned rice pudding with custard on top, ice cream.

Full cream milk with milk powder stirred in "fortifird milk." Little microwave sponge puddings with custard or ice cream. Easy to eat meals. And easy to prepare. All the things which you would normally go easy on. I hope he does well.

Thank you all

Good luck to you and your husband Doodle. I hope that you receive physio and nutrition advice from professionals.
If I could add just one thing from my time when my mum was quite frail - make every drink nutritious. If milk shakes work- great. If tea is the drink of choice, use full fat milk in it. If you make coffee , make it milky . Every little helps, as they say.

Hope all goes well for you, Doodle, and that your DH enjoys all those delicious treats suggested by WonderfulLife. 💐

Yes definitely Ensure,different flavours. Also found it helped my DH' s constipation.
Custard and prunes. Tesco trifles.
Ovaltine in full fat milk !
But when recovered more he's going to get a healthier diet....

nanaK54 thanks I’ll look into that.

My DH was in hospital Nov/Dec and was prescribed some fortified milkshakes when he couldn't eat well (I'm thinking they were called Ensure but I couldn't say for sure) this was via the hospital dietician.
Hope all goes well for you and your DH

Everyone has been very kind thank you and thank you Cossy for your good wishes,

No advice as I’ve read all the very good advice on here and agree with all, but wanted to wish you luck, both of you£

m.youtube.com/shorts/bC5fGv8yZfQ

Justin Agustin videos on You Tube and Instagram are good for beginners / those who have been sedentary

I have to do exercises. When watching TV. I find the commercials a very useful slot. Near my chair I have 1 kg ankle weights and 2 1 kg dumbbells. I can sit there lifting my legs and holding them and same with arms. I did have an elastic band for my thighs so that I could part my knees (abduction) but when the phone rang I could not get it off quick enough and nearly fell over!! So that exercise is out. Hover I do have a cushion to put between my knees to squeeze so I get the adduction movement. Chair exercises are very useful and I think some of these i.e. holding your leg up straight, is all called isometric toning which is also supposed to lower your blood pressure.

Weights etc can be bought on amazon

Thank you Grandyma. They are making noises about sending DH home soon and the physio has been in this morning to ask what help we needed and says he will be back later with an exercise list for DH.
I will certainly change our eating habits and have to start feeding DH all the things we usually avoid. I’m sure he’ll enjoy having the forbidden treats.
Thanks all for contributions all gratefully received

I hope the doctor has reassured you Doodle. 💐

Thank you all.
Doctor popped in tonight (social rather than ward round) and mentioned OT and physio. Said the hospital was running on half the staff (sorry yes in England) but they would sort out help for him at home.
WonderfulLife (what a lovely username) I’m sorry you lost your husband. Sounds like you took great care of him. Thank you for all your helpful suggestions

My late husband died 10 years ago of a chronic illness. I was told that I had to keep his weight up (he was ill for eight years before he died.)

I reverted to feeding on demand, when he felt hungry I cooked for him, I gave him high fat foods such as cream cakes, fried breakfasts, fish and chips, ice cream, meat pies and fruit pies with custard or cream. He put on two stone in weight and kept the weight on until the day he died of pneumonia. The matron asked me how I had done it and asked me to speak to student nurses so they could write a paper on my technique. At the beginning he didn't feel like eating much but slowly he ate more and more until he was having full Roast beef dinners, sometimes in the morning as he felt hungry. We used to go out with his mobility scooter and oxygen and call at Subway and get foot long sub sandwiches, then next door to Greggs for cream cakes.

Doodle Are you in England? I was given physio twice daily for 2 weeks before discharge then the hospital physios referred me to the community ones. I’m in Hertfordshire.

In Wales there is a scheme the leisure centres run gym session for rehab
I'm astonished! One visit from a physiotherapist, no exercises given, cheerio, you're on your own now! Perhaps it depends on area.

JaneJudge

They really shouldn’t have discharged him home without transferring him to a rehab place first and no physio? Are you in England?

DH was discharged without rehabilitation or any physio recommendations.
That was in Wales.

Doodle

Thanks both for your help. Unfortunately DH can’t walk at the moment. Exercise is limited to what can be done in a chair.
Good advice about the dietician, thanks. I’ll chase that up while we’re in the hospital.

Ask the physiotherapy department for armchair exercises.

As his strength returns then other standing exercises could be included.

When DH lost a lot of weight in hospital the diet sheet he was given seemed to consist of high calorie foods such as butter, cream, fats and didn't look very healthy.
He gradually put on weight as his appetite improved.

doodle, make sure he has a full occupational assessment before discharge and you have a carers assessment in place. He really should be discharged to a nursing home that offers rehabilitation to try and get him mobile

Sorry, JaneJudge, he is still in hospital. I didn’t make that clear in my OP but I’m hoping will be discharged soon so I was looking for nutrition ideas to build muscle.
Thanks corner I will definitely arrange private physio if nothing regular is offered. He has had physio in hospital but it’s only once a week.
annodomini I will take a look. Thank you.

They really shouldn’t have discharged him home without transferring him to a rehab place first and no physio? Are you in England?

Sorry. I’d left for a while and didn’t see your last post doodle. Really must do better here!

I’m a real cheer leader for good physios. They have kept me mobile that’s for sure.

Has your husband had input from a physio doodle? I’d hope so but a neighbour with very similar weakness wasn’t offered any. He went a private route and it made a huge difference. It’s just knowing which exercises are best for each individual.

I’m so sorry you’re having this experience. It must be hugely worrying for you both