Hi i have not posted for some time but wondered if anyone can offer any advice as the advice i was given last time was extremely helpful to me.
My mum is in a nursing home and is the last stages of AD (the diagnosis is unclear and could be lewey body). She is completely bed ridden and unable to move (except for her lower arms). She no longer recognises us and sleeps most of the time. We have managed to arranage with the GP that she only receives palative care now as her quality of life is zero. She has been on a peg feed for the last 2.5 years after a spell in hospital when she broke her hip and then refused to eat and drink. The dementia became rapidly worse at this stage. She does not take anything orally now. Can anyone offer advice about the peg feed as we feel strongly that this is the only thing that is keeping her going. The doctor has advised that we cannot do anything about this. The dietician has said that they want to increase the calories of the feed as she has lost weight recently we are trying to stop the increase in the feed happening. It seems morally wrong to keep her going like this, as all of her choices have been taken away from her by the peg as she cannot refuse food, we just want her to be allowed to slip away gently and not be forced to carry on because food is being pumped into her artifically through the peg.
Any advice would be very gratefully received. Thank you
My mum is in a nursing home and is the last stages of AD (the diagnosis is unclear and could be lewey body). She is completely bed ridden and unable to move (except for her lower arms). She no longer recognises us and sleeps most of the time. We have managed to arranage with the GP that she only receives palative care now as her quality of life is zero. She has been on a peg feed for the last 2.5 years after a spell in hospital when she broke her hip and then refused to eat and drink. The dementia became rapidly worse at this stage. She does not take anything orally now. Can anyone offer advice about the peg feed as we feel strongly that this is the only thing that is keeping her going. The doctor has advised that we cannot do anything about this. The dietician has said that they want to increase the calories of the feed as she has lost weight recently we are trying to stop the increase in the feed happening. It seems morally wrong to keep her going like this, as all of her choices have been taken away from her by the peg as she cannot refuse food, we just want her to be allowed to slip away gently and not be forced to carry on because food is being pumped into her artifically through the peg.
Any advice would be very gratefully received. Thank you