Mom was neglected in a nursing home....neglected UTI resulted in some kidney damage. Not eating and barely will drink. Is there anything other than soup ? She has dementia also. I do have her home with me.
What does her doctor say? A feeding tube can be placed, but know dementia is a terminal illness. One does not recover from that. Have you called hospice?
I don't know about what foods would be good, but my mom has been sick lately and we used oral syringes to put fluids in her mouth. The pharmacist sent them for the meds but since she was barely awake and pretty much non-responsive I used them to get water, juice, and soup in her. I warmed up some tuna and scrambled an egg with cheese to get some protein in her without too much chewing necessary. She also had yogurt. We did the popsicle thing too. I microwaved them for just a few seconds and then used a spoon to get the bits in her mouth. I'm so sorry to hear that your mom was neglected and I am so glad that she has you to look out for her. I hope the new year will be better....
I lost my mom a year ago tomorrow. A week before she passed away I tried to get her to take just a few sips but she looked at me and said "please don't make me". I assured her I wouldn't. I had already called hospice. That night was the last time my mom talked to me. She never regained consciousness, and a week later she was gone. My point is respect their wishes. I miss her, but I am so grateful that I did what she wanted me to do. Prior to that they did add thickeners to her juice. Funny thing was, even though she had dementia and couldn't remember a lot, she sure knew she didn't like that stuff in her juice. Hang in there, but hospice may be your lifesaver right now.
Talk with her doctor, ask him for suggestions on keeping her hydrated and nourished. Does she have a living will or end of life directives? Check on these things before feeding tubes and other measures are undertaken...talk with your doctor about hospice, he will know if that is the direction you should be looking...praying you find the best way to deal with a not very good situation...
Laurie, please look into Hospice. They can come to your home to help you keep Mom comfortable. I lost my mother six years ago to complications of kidney failure and dialysis dementia. My biggest regret is that I did not start Hopice care sooner.
I lost my mother six years ago to complications of kidney failure and dialysis dementia. My biggest regret is that I did not start Hopice care sooner.
See All Answers