My Mom is on Hospice. I was recently told boost will no longer be supplied by them. She barely eats, why no supplements?

Items not covered by Hospice include nutritional supplements, and over-the-counter or personal hygiene items such as tissues, lotion and shampoo.

I'm kind of surprised Hospice ever provided Boost. Hospice does not cover room and board, and Boost would seem to me to come under "board." I don't know anything about the exact policy or if there has recently been a change.

It is generally considered that at the end of life, when the body processes are shutting down, food is for pleasure and not for nutritional purposes. If someone wants to eat, fine, give them food. If someone does not want to eat, do not force or coax them into eating. If your mother "barely wants to eat" but likes pudding, you could give her any pudding -- it would not have to be Boost. Same with the milkshake.

Ask the hospice nurse about the advisability of encouraging your mom to eat at this point, regardless of who is paying for her food.

My heart goes out to you. This is a difficult time, and it is very hard to see a loved one make her final journey. It is also a privilege.

Maybe the time for sustanance is done, and your Mom's time is near. I understand that towards the end of life food and drink are not needed.

I agree with kathyt1. If your Mum barely eats or even wants to eat, maybe it has come to the time when sustenance is no longer needed, and she justs needs to be kept comfortable. In other words, the body starts to shut down when her time in near.

my aunt refuses every meal on the pretense it doesnt look appetizing . they supplement her missed meals with some king of liquid supplement but only a small half cup of it . my guess they want her to have a healthy decline and just want the proper vitamins in her system . a natural death not necessarily caused by malnutrition , just multipe organ failure .