re: Recommendations for bed-ridden Senior

Ask him who his favorite movie star is. Then contact your local library, get him a library card and watch that movie star's career. (Yes, libraries do have movies, even movies older than your Dad.) Even silent movies.

Get him out of bed, soonest.
Once my FIL stopped getting around, it was a downhill slide.

Make sure to get his hair cut and his finger and toe nails clipped and taken care of (almost daily). Nobody noticed her (my MIL) toe nails were over an inch long and barely fit in her shoes.

At his age, his skin is weaker and watch for places that might be worn from his limited mobility. Some people find lying on a sheepskin rug helps get air to the skin on their backs.
What was his favorite cookie as a child, and work with him to get the taste right (change kinds of sugar, how soft or how crisp it was, baking times, just creative differences, how big? (and if the cookie fails, put ice cream on it and call it a sundae. (IMO most elderly men would eat ice cream three times a day if they could.)

Not sure of his chewing/swallowing abilities or medical conditions which could affect food selection, but here are some high calorie, high protein mini-meal/snack ideas:

Chicken/egg/tuna salad on soft bread or croissant
Fairlife chocolate milk + granola bar
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of Fairlife whole milk
Carnation instant breakfast packet + 1 cup Fairlife whole milk
Homemade smoothie: whole milk, Greek yogurt, frozen fruit, peanut butter
4-6 peanut butter square sandwiches + 8 oz. 100% fruit juice box
Gatorade or other sports drink + high protein nutrition bar (Clif builders, Power Crunch)
1-2 whole grain mini bagels with peanut butter and jelly + milk
2 oatmeal packets with 1 Tbs. peanut butter + milk/water
1 cup Raisin Bran or Bear Naked Granola + 1 cup Fairlife whole milk
1 banana with peanut butter and a Greek yogurt cup
1 turkey sandwich with 1 cup Fairlife chocolate milk
4 Fig Newtons + 2 cups of 100% apple juice
1 piece of leftover cheese pizza + 2 cups of grape juice
Wholly Guacamole cup + tortilla chips or soft pita bread

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second hand lions

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is a great movie for the whole fam

Need more laughter and appetite? Try a "special" cookie

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Make sure to get his hair cut and his finger and toe nails clipped and taken care of (almost daily). Nobody noticed her (my MIL) toe nails were over an inch long and barely fit in her shoes.

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First thing I did. I regret shaving his beard off instead of trimming it up now because I bet he'd look sharp with a trimmed beard. It was scraggly from him neglecting his personal hygiene mainly because of his limited mobility at his house. His toenails were pretty bad, but we have to get a podiatrist to cut them, because of him being diabetic. I've ordered him some lightweight eyeglasses because he's using some older ones 24/7 that are causing sores on his nose. Unfortunately, this prescription is so strong that the lenses are special order and won't be here for a week and a half.

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Ask him questions about his life and times.

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Find out as much as you can about your ancestors. Most elderly people love to talk about their family.

You’re doing a good thing, don’t hurt yourself though. If he’s bed ridden, people who are trained caretakers can give you some tips on the easy way to handle a bed ridden person. Good luck and enjoy your time with your Dad.

I bought my mom an Alexa during her last year. She was totally blind and bed-ridden due to strokes, but still mentally sharp. With Amazon music subscription she could listen to any kind of music she wanted. I got her a subscription for Audibles, but she still preferred her familiar digital player from the State Library for the Blind. She liked to ask Alexa for the weather report and make phone calls, etc. Alexa was the only "technology" she would ever use.

During Covid lock downs, I begged the rehabilitation center to discharge her to me with home health care therapist visits. She stayed with me for four months before another stroke. It was hard. I could handle the daytime easily, but the frequent wake-ups at night were frankly wearing me down. I had gotten to the point of needing sitters at night or moving her to a facility, when she had her next stroke.

During her last few months on hospice we had feeding issues due to poor swallowing, nausea, and weakness. She began rejecting even pureed foods, so the aides began to bring her nutritional shakes (like Ensure) with ice cream mixed in. That worked for awhile to get some calories in her body. Hospice was wonderful for her and for us.

Any tips on getting someone with little appetite and poor taste buds to eat?

My mother is on a lot of meds currently which we are speculating has screwed up her sense of taste. Things she normally eats don't taste good to her now and she just won't power through it.

Sweets seem to get through as she will suck on Werther's all day. She obviously needs more than that however. Currently about 20 pounds underweight.

He’s dealing with sore throat and dehydration right now. I’m asking if he minds me putting some electrolytes in his water. “I don’t want to taste anything, son.”

He’s barely even touching his protein drinks right now. :(

I have gotten a prescription for some meds that gradually stimulate his appetite. Hope they help him.

He seems to like the Fairline chocolate shakes the best and I too add some ice cream to it and take a few sips to show I’m not trying to slip anything in it that he doesn’t want ;)