Mom is on hospice - refusing all food and medication. Only accepting water. She is no longer able to hold herself up. She is sleeping a lot and wants to be left alone to sleep. How often should I be giving her water?
IF she is swallowing.. give her sips of water as she wants it. Offer. Take a spoon and offer a sip or a straw if she is using one. A moistened swab works as well. Hospice usually provides swabs for this purpose. They are also good for sweeping the mouth of food debris when a person is still eating and may pocket food. IF she is NOT swallowing a moistened swab to keep the lips moist. Keeping the gums and tongue moist. But if she is not swallowing do NOT give any fluids. The body is doing what it does when it begins to shut down. She does not feel thirst or hunger like you or I do. Please if you have any questions about what to do talk to the Hospice Nurse or CNA. They have done this before and will give you the information and support that you need.
As the body starts to shut down in the dying process it no longer will require food or drink as the digestive system is the first to shut down, and can cause great pain and discomfort if forced. Your hospice nurse can better guide you, and like already said, the little sponges on the end of a stick can work quite well for not only cleaning off the mouth(inside and out)but also can supply the little bit of water that the person may want. God bless you as you take this final journey with your mom.
Our wise hospice nurse recommended making ice chips out of my dad’s favorite drink. This way he’d get the flavor of something and not have the worries of trying to swallow a gulp of liquid. It was genius. He had flavored ice chips his last 3 days and took them like a baby bird
Don't give water. Know that miniscule amounts of water, even teaspoons of it, can prolong this end for her. Moisten her mouth. Ask hospice personnel for guidance. Let her rest and sleep and glory in that peace for her. Water is no friend of hers now. It can greatly prolong her passage to peace. And it can cause choking and secretions that you don't want now for her.
No Peggy Sue. Esp the pedilyte will prolong things. This is something cruel now, not kind. No water unless the person asks for it. And certainly nothing with electrolytes that will prolong this.
Hospice should've provided you with the pink sponges on sticks....those are to dip in water and wet moms lips down with while she sleeps. Dad sucked on them a bit to get water, too.....but never drank a glass of water during his end of life journey. It's not normally suggested unless your mom specifically asks for water.
Definitely speak with the hospice nurse about this.
Good luck to you. I know how difficult this all is. God bless you.
give her sips of water as she wants it. Offer. Take a spoon and offer a sip or a straw if she is using one. A moistened swab works as well. Hospice usually provides swabs for this purpose. They are also good for sweeping the mouth of food debris when a person is still eating and may pocket food.
IF she is NOT swallowing a moistened swab to keep the lips moist. Keeping the gums and tongue moist. But if she is not swallowing do NOT give any fluids.
The body is doing what it does when it begins to shut down.
She does not feel thirst or hunger like you or I do.
Please if you have any questions about what to do talk to the Hospice Nurse or CNA. They have done this before and will give you the information and support that you need.
Your hospice nurse can better guide you, and like already said, the little sponges on the end of a stick can work quite well for not only cleaning off the mouth(inside and out)but also can supply the little bit of water that the person may want.
God bless you as you take this final journey with your mom.
Know that miniscule amounts of water, even teaspoons of it, can prolong this end for her.
Moisten her mouth. Ask hospice personnel for guidance. Let her rest and sleep and glory in that peace for her. Water is no friend of hers now. It can greatly prolong her passage to peace. And it can cause choking and secretions that you don't want now for her.
Definitely speak with the hospice nurse about this.
Good luck to you. I know how difficult this all is. God bless you.