What to do when dementia patients cannot eat

I'm so distraught over my father. He has a Peg tube in, and hasn't had any solid food for over 2 months.Our reader Denise wrote: I'm so distraught over my father. Has a Peg tube andhasn't had any solid food for over 2 months.He asks me all the time for food. Seeing him suffer is too much. If I give him food and then he'll aspirate and he is DNR.I feel like by giving him food i will be contributing to his death sooner. Oh Lord ...so painful.Article -16 Ways to Get a Dementia Patient to Eat More FoodSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:By Dr. Rita A. JablonskiAlzheimer's Reading RoomTo the reader, I would recommendan evaluation by a speech therapist with dementia experience.While risk can never be removed, it can be reduced; the speech therapistmay be able to recommend specific foods and textures that would satisfy the desire to eat while minimizing choking risk.I'm sure many of your readers are asking themselves,"If feeding tubes do not necessarily help the situation, why do doctors/nurses/facilities recommend them?Again, short answer: liability and lawsuits.The person living with end-stage dementia is, unfortunately, terminal.Article -6 reasons why you might have to put someone with dementia in a memory care facility or nursing homeNobody would accuse me of malpractice or neglect if I allowed a terminal cancer patient with diabetes to eat whatever he or she desired.But if a person with end-stage dementia who has difficulty swallowing develops pneumonia and dies...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimers alzheimers care can't eat care of dementia patients dementia care feeding health lifestyle Source Type: blogs