My Mum is now in Hospital Care and in a severe to end stage of Alzheimers since January and is yet again in a stage of being either asleep or awake with eyes shut pretty much 23 hrs a day.
The only time the carers manage to get Mum to stay awake long enough is first thing in the morning when they feed her breakfast, hoist her into shower or when dressing her.
So whats your thoughts with carers feeding, when in the state of awake but eyes shut.
I dont even think Mums aware of being fed, or wanting food, but much like a babys automatic reaction when you put a bottle in their mouth or a spoon on their lips.
Mums swallow is still OK, but ocassionally coughs a little in between.
Her weight fluctuates up and down a few kilos.
There is one lady there, ( used to be with Mum in the Dementia Ward) who to me looks in a comatose state, so soundly asleep with very little movement, that to me seems cruel to wake her sufficiently to the point where its almost like force feeding. She is only fed Fortasip and purees, but coughs and splutters through the first few swallows.
Apparently this lady has been like this now for 2 yrs.
I dont wish to see the same for my Mum
When Mum was at a moderate stage of dementia and aware enough to refuse food or wave your hand away when she’d had enough, I had ( still do) strong views on no drip/tube feeding if it came to it, but the stage shes at now stirs up a lot of emotions and what feels right or wrong.
The only time the carers manage to get Mum to stay awake long enough is first thing in the morning when they feed her breakfast, hoist her into shower or when dressing her.
So whats your thoughts with carers feeding, when in the state of awake but eyes shut.
I dont even think Mums aware of being fed, or wanting food, but much like a babys automatic reaction when you put a bottle in their mouth or a spoon on their lips.
Mums swallow is still OK, but ocassionally coughs a little in between.
Her weight fluctuates up and down a few kilos.
There is one lady there, ( used to be with Mum in the Dementia Ward) who to me looks in a comatose state, so soundly asleep with very little movement, that to me seems cruel to wake her sufficiently to the point where its almost like force feeding. She is only fed Fortasip and purees, but coughs and splutters through the first few swallows.
Apparently this lady has been like this now for 2 yrs.
I dont wish to see the same for my Mum
When Mum was at a moderate stage of dementia and aware enough to refuse food or wave your hand away when she’d had enough, I had ( still do) strong views on no drip/tube feeding if it came to it, but the stage shes at now stirs up a lot of emotions and what feels right or wrong.