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My experience with inserting a feeding tube in my Dad's stomach has been horrific.
He had bed sores, (which the nursing home failed to, or chose NOT to, inform us) which my Dad already had infection running through his body. He died two days later after the feeding tube was inserted.
If I had it to do over again, I would not do it at all. It brought on much more unneccesary pain to his final days.
Which brings up another point, I really get aggravated at how people have an automatic response of "placing an elder in a facility"...It is not such an easy task. ALL facilities MUST be investigated, personal visits, interviews with current resident's and or their famillies. This website is to assist, advise, support CAREGIVERS who are caring for their elder at home.
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My father had trouble swallowing regular food and liquids. He chose not to eat especially the thickened liquids. Dehydration and lack of nutrition became a real concern on a regular basis. I suggested,(not the doctors) a feeding tube and they went along with it. It was great. I made his food with a blender. I alternated between vegetables and fruits and proteins. The color came back to his face and he became stronger and happier. We were still able to give hims some "feel good" food by mouth like popsicals, pudding, yogurt, and things of that nature. They wanted me to buy the food in the cans for over $100. per case. They said, "Don't worry, insurance will pay for it." It was not as healthy as what I was making and cost 10X the price of home made. I was coached from a health foods store.

The negatives are that the client feels less normal because they do not eat the same way everyone else does. Thats why some food by mouth is still recommended if it works for them. You have to slowly inject the food 3X a day. You may have to buy and make the food but you would doing the same if they ate by mouth anyways. Infection at the point of entry is a possibility but if you keep it clean and covered it should not be a risk. The balloons inside keep the tube from pulling out or moving.
I would recommend it for the positives far outweighed the negatives in my father's case.
Good Luck with you choice and God Bless
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This is a very emotionally driven decision in many cases. Is there a living will? What is the goal of artifical feeds? Longterm for someone with dementia differs from someone recovering from an acute illness with quality of life. Generally speaking though, if we are talking about someone with Advanced Dementia...it is part of the end staqe process. Most patients become a "failure to thrieve" with muscle wasting and cachexia. It is not starvation in the truist sense, but part of the end stage disease process. I would be very reluctant to place one, because it is much more difficult to make a decision to remove or stop feeds, but trust the natural process. As a former hospice nurse, I have witnessed the medical community make families feel guilty for giving up or withholding, however if you asked most if it was them, they would not! ? Go figure???? Anyway, the risks of placement #1...Aspiration pneumonia; as they are not able to swallow appropriately and not uncommon for reflux to occur. #2 skin breakdown as part of fluid overload if there is kidney insufficiency which could lead to edema, open wounds, and pain. These are all issues that should be weighed carefully before making a decision, but bottomline....if there is Advance Directives (living Will) stating no artificial nutrition or hydration you have your answer! If you don't have a Living Will, everyone consider. Pamela
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Hospice is a wonderful choice when your elderly parent is so far along that the doctors want to use a feeding tube. Please look into the one close to you. I chose to have hospice come to my home to help me care for my mother. They are there for me day , night, and weekends. The main job of hospice is to help loved ones die in comfort without needless pain. Yes, it is very hard to see my mother go through the process of dying. . She is comforted to know that she is in her own home with her family. Hospice not only helps the one who is dying but helps the family through this time and after, No one should have to go through Sylvester18s bad experiences with a loved one. Cost is not an issue. Medicare pays for hospice. People donate money and time to help the dying and those who grieve. Sylvester18, I am so sorry you did not know about hospice. My heart goes out to you for I too am in this journey right now .and plan to use the grieving groups provided by hospice after my mother is gone.
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Alot of people don't realize that Hospice is an entitlement benefit with Medicare Part A and covered 100%!!!! However, Medicare has begun to srutinize hospice dervices and the family must elect "palliative" care; no agressive treatments such as the artifical feeds and hydration in regards to end stage dementia. Other disease processes may allow, but the patient needs to meet criteria for the disease. For dementia they need a FAST scale of 7, meaning they need complete assist with ADL's, are losing weight (failure to thrieve) and no meaningful conversation, mostly bedridden or whellchair bound. Good luck!
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My initial thought is not to insert a feeding tube unless it's a temporary thing, while healing is going on or some kind of recuperation, but then I read tommullen's post, and I may alter my opinion. I guess if it seems as if the person would like to eat, but just can't swallow anymore, it might be worth doing. But if a person is showing no interest in eating, I'm inclined to say don't do it. They did put one in my grandma (I was not part of the decision makers for her), and I think her daughters would make a different decision today. Maybe. Who knows? You do the best you can in the moment with the information you have. I don't think I would put one in my mom, who now has dementia. In fact, i am pretty sure I would not, as I seek to avoid the hospital at nearly all costs.
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Thank You Everyone for your support and very helpful answers! My husband has Parkinson's disease. He is still able to swallow and even though the doctors are telling me this will not be ongoing and that he is already showing some signs of aspiration of food to his lungs, he has not had any problems except for 40lb weight loss over the past 3 years and lots of mucous with very slow swallowing and eating over all. I lean toward natural healing and have found that American Botanical Pharmacy's Echinacea, Super Tonic and Lung formulas are helping dry up some of the mucous and also are keeping his lungs healthy. He has not experienced any pneumonia like symptoms. Weight loss is my greatest concern, although he gets lots of smoothies and does well with them. I recently found an online article through "GOOGLE" posted by a brave woman whose daughter had a feeding tube for many years.
As you have said, it is an emotional, difficult decision. My husband also has a Living Will stating 'no hydration'. We are going to be talking about this for awhile. Hugs to ALL of You and Thanks Again!
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my mother has dementia, she is 68 years old. all she wants to eat is eggo waffles/syrup and 2 ensure in the morning for breakfast .she don't want to eat any dinner, she feels that that's the only meal she suppose to have, but, she drinks the ensure through out the day, like 6. I cant keep enough of it, it's very expensive, $30 a case at sams, and that's the cheapest iv found. is there a program that pays for this stuff, she has medicade and medicare.the ensure is the only thing that's keeping her alive, I really don't want to put her on the feeding tube, because she wont keep it in, she is very stubborne. im an only child 42 trying to care for my mother, im not in the best of health myself. its difficult on a daily basis to care for her. she has lost a lot of weight in the past 3 to 4 months.i don't know what to do anymore. HELP!!!
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Pro-they may live longer
Con-they may die more slowly
If their brain is dying because of Alzheimer's I don't know if it makes sense to prolong the dying process. If their brain is working well and they have a measure of satisfaction from life, go for it.
I think often feeding tubes are used to feed the emotional needs of the family as much as the physical needs of the patient.
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Is a feeding tube the right thing? Being pressured by doctors to do so. My loved one is 89 years old, pneumonia in both lungs, MRSA, congestive heart failure, Bad leak in one of her heart valves, pacemaker, currently in the hospital, has breathing problems and cannot swallow food very well, no interest in food and has difficulty swallowing. She has directive to physicians saying "no feeding tube"
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Joyce, She made it easier for you. "No feeding tube." Unless you have a reason to expect her to bounce back, I think that's the answer. Can you talk to her at all? she sounds pretty miserable, and if she were a pet, you would put her to sleep.

The life she has left ain't gonna be pretty. Let her go home to Jesus if that's your belief, or to eternal rest.
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Joyce13 if she has a directive that says no feeding tube then you should adhere to her wishes.
My father had a peg tube in his abdomen for four years because he lost the use of his epiglottis. He was of sound mind for the most part. It prolonged his life and he was able to die at home after his bouts with pneumonia. In certain situations a feeding/peg tube is a solution. For others it is not.
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My Mother, is trying to recover from Pneomia and has been diagnois with malnutrition. The nose feeding tube has been positive, now comes the decision to put the stomach one in. I hope we are making the right decision.
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Sheila, if the doctors said there is a good chance for recovery, yes, I would agree to the feeding tube. If the patient is a week from dying, no, I would not, because it only makes things worse and prolongs the suffering.
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My mother has been in nursing home care for 11 years and declining health since the 1970's. She has a serious mental health problem that led to her declining physical health. I have chose NOT to place a feeding tube due to the aspiration pneumonia she severely had just two years ago with her failure to thrive condition. I've seen her suffer since I was a child. I'm 53...she's 73..and she is wasting away. My tears are heavy right now and Hospice is starting to look in on her again for the second time. God is preparing a new home for her now, So....No artificial anything!
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The feeding tube my mom now has inserted, now almost a month is pumping food into her 24 - 7 and I was shocked to find that out when I went to visit her. Who can deal with this and what sane person would want this for their parent? My sister and my father would. Even the doctor didn't want to do it, but they insisted. Now lying in a hospital bed, at home next to the blaring t.v she lies and just stares into space and she gets nothing by mouth now either. I am not insensitive to my father, but in his case he needs my mom alive to so he can continue to live in their home with the aid of her pension. He continues his life of going every day to the Legion to drink and play cards. Yes, he needs his time away from her, but you need to understand that now that my sister is there to take care of my mom's needs, so he can continue to live the way he always did when my mom was taking care of everything at home. She has bed sores already and even though the case workers are trying their best to keep them from happening, by moving her back and forth it doesn't stop them from forming. I am so ready to let her go to the Lord and to have peace, finally. I pray this doesn't happen to any one you love, think long and hard before you make that decision to have the tube put in. This is just my opinion if it is worth anything.
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Chimom, my mom was bedridden for over 13 years. She always struggled with rashes on her back, backside and anywhere she sweats. In all that time, she only had her first and only bedsore - when she spent a month in the hospital for blood poisoning. When she came home, her bottom, and private area was super angry red. And she had this big bedsore on her back butt, digging down towards her bone. I was totally grossed out. The govt caregivers told me that we need to aggressively treat it before it reaches the bone. One of their other clients has that, and she said it really stinks and much worse looking than what I was seeing. That just freaked dad and I out. We got in contact with mom's case worker who got the doctor to prescribe DuoDerm. You clean the bedsore area really well, wipe it dry completely, and then cut a small patch of DuoDerm to cover the hole. Leave it for about 3 days, take it out, clean, dry, put a new patch over it. We spent over $100 on those patches. One small square was $10.00.

With your mom, the best way to fight off the bedsores is to make sure they change her pampers often. Don't her lie on the soaking pamper for hours. Clean her well every time you change pampers. Change her gown every time you change her pampers. Or if she's wet from sweating (even with the air con on), change her gown.

Does your mom have an air mattress? This goes on top of the bed, and bubbles pop up and then down. This is good to prevent bedsores. Mom's air mattress was covered by Medicare 80%.

FYI, when dad got his bedsore (he absolutely refuses to sleep or lie on his side), the nurse came. She specializes on wounds. I couldn't watch her. She took a qtip and used the gauze to dig into my dad's bedsore to clean it. When she was done, she took some cut pieces of the clean gauze and inserted it in the hole. Then she covered his bedsore with a gauze. I didn't think it would work. But it did. Plus she said that when it comes to bedsores, the body needs protein to heal.
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Are there bad side effects of a Parkinsons patient having a feeding tube
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Hi Pattypoor,
I'm sorry, but I really don't have much to tell you about the feeding tube my mom had. She died only 3 weeks after having it put in. It was not the reason she died, because she got a bladder infection which caused her bad issues. All I can tell you is that even the doctor told us that the feeding tube wouldn't be a good idea, but my dad had it done anyway. Mom really didn't respond to it because she was too far away from us in her mind by then to even notice it. I hope whatever you choose to do, that it is the right decision for you and your family.
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You have to ask what is in the patient's best interest. Will a feeding tube give this person a better/increased quality of life or will it prolong the agony? What does the person want? If you don't know then speak with the doctor, ask the prognosis, if prognosis is poor even with a feeding tube, then you may want to consider not having one placed. By the time a person is at this stage, they no longer feel thirst or hunger like you and I do. If the person is reasonably healthy otherwise, is functional, then if the prognosis if good consider the placement of a feeding tube. When my grandma was ill, she had dementia among other medical issues, she slowly stopped eating, my dad asked about a feeding tube . By this time my grandma's prognosis was poor, the feeding tube would not give her her life back or improve her quality of life. We decided not to place a feeding tube. Its a very personal choice, weigh all the facts. I've seen the area around the tube become red, sometimes the tube will be pulled out by the person or accidently by someone else then the person will need to have the tube replaced. Good luck.
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knowing your loved one is very important. If I could still have a clear mind and it was just about nutrition, then yes I would say a tube feeding would be ok. If I had a stroke and could only have thickened liquids and puree food. Yep I would want a tube feeding. Other than that nope don't want one. If I no longer had my mind or had Alzheimer's disease and was at the end process. Let me go, I work in a nursing home and I see families struggle with this all the time. Let your heart be your guide what is a life if you can not be productive in some way.
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My father had a feeding tube put in during a hospitalization last October/November. He got down to a low of only 110# (he's 5'10"). He had been steadily decreasing in weight due to lack of appetite in general, then the tube was needed because he temporarily lost ability to swallow due to some type of septic shock (?).

The good news is - after using the tube for about a month, he was able to begin soft foods by mouth again, and now he is back to 100% eating/drinking by mouth and he has gained 20 pounds in past few months.

In his case, the tube was used temporarily and was necessary to stabilize him... so it was a definite benefit at that time.
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My mom is 96 years old and in a nursing home; she is relatively healthy (hearing issues,uses a walker. She still gets around pretty well but the problem is eating. Do to a problem with her esophagus she is unable to keep down food. She still enjoys eating but as soon as she does it comes back up. The nursing home doctor has recommended a feeding tube but she (and the family) feel as though it would limit her being able to go out ( to the family homes and visiting the grandchildren). I was wondering if how much this would limit her ( confine her to the bed, or nursing home)?
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Hi Tom Mullen, would you recommend the fruits and vegetables over the regular fluids that the hospital puts in the feeding tubes.
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A elderly person has a g-tube. How do the doctor or therapist know if they can swallow or not. What detail test is done to determine this? Patient is asking for certain foods. I give ice chips and no problem.
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Debraji, I wish I could provide information on your question, but I'm afraid I don't have any experience with that issue. I hope others here, who do have answers, will respond. My concern is that since you posted your question at the end of someone else's old thread, it might not be viewed that much. If you don't get responses, you might try to post your own thread about this matter.
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Debrajj, ask the doctor for a "swallow test" . A therapist will perform the test and advise the doctor of the results. The therapist may find the patient may be able to tolerate a little thickened liquids and pureed foods. The patient may still need the feeding tube to obtain enough nutrients.
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At the end of life dying body performs in exactly the someway with or without a feeding tube. Someone who is unable to swallow from disease or injury will be able to prolong their life significantly but in the end with or without a tube the body will reject food as systems shut down. With a gastric tube there will be food remaining in the stomach between feedings and the patient will vomit and with a J tube a lot of food will remain between feedings and the patient will become bloated and uncomfortable, When other signs of imminent death are present it is pointless to place a tube for a few short weeks or days because the patient is refusing food.
certain diseases may twist the body and then a tube can prolong life for a significant length of time as in the case of Stephen Hawkin who probably has a tube although no one has said so. One young beauty recently posed in a bikini with her tube in full view. She will probably have many years ahead of her. (Don't worry folks I am not going out to buy a bikini) but I certainly would be prepared to swim in a nice warm pool. Anyone with specific questions is welcome to post on my board and i will answer them truthfully.
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GENERAL rule of thumb - feeding tube for most people with advanced dementia does not improve either quality or quantity of life, but for most people with a specific reason for swallowing trouble - Stephen Hawking being a good example - it can do both, for many, many years. Feeding tubes do not limit speech, mobility, or other activities for someone who knows not to pull them out. Placing a surgical tube is usually better than having it through the nose chronically and sometimes it is a really simple procedure. You can typically still eat by mouth if you are otherwise able and safe to do so. This is a really good post because it should be an individualized decision based on each person's diagnosis and prognosis, and realistic goals; eliminating myths and worries about feeding tubes, as well as avoiding the cookie-cutter approach that says either everybody or nobody should get one is really important.
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That is so very generous, Veronica, to put yourself out there, with or without that bikini!

900 M Super Lotto hugs to you tonight!
Does anyone actually have experience driving a RV of any size? 34' here.
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