mum forgot how to drink, any help please

[caring a]

gradually over last week mum has been grunting and wandering in her conversations,,,
today she was getting alll words mixed but today was the first time she said when i offered her a drink with the straw,,she said i dont know how to suck up love,,
i kept putting straw to her mouth ,and she evenually drank,,but all time was acting like a little girl,,,either blowing on it or just letting it in her mouth without sucking,,,all the time making these silly girls noises,,,

im very sad today and just needed a friend,,,,i just wander wiether shes entering another,,maybe sad stage of this cruel illness,,
anybody else witnessed these actions,,,
thks in anticipation,,
love to you all...
carin xxx

 

[Cat27]

Oh that's so difficult.
Have you tried drinking yourself to show her how to do it?

 

[Beate]

Please ask your GP for a referral to the SALT (speech and language therapy) team. They can help with problems concerning eating, drinking, swallowing and communication.

 

[fizzie]

Also worth keeping a close eye on her because if she is drinking very little she may get a urinary tract infection and that will increase her confusion (thinking about it, I'd get that checked out anyway, it is possible that is causing her the probem)

 

[Leswi]

My mum gets like that from time to time, usually when she's very tired, got an infection or had TIA. I bought some 'one way' straws.The liquid doesn't drop back down each time suction is stopped, just need to be careful that too much is not swallowed in one go, take straw away and get a breath every so often. When really bad I hold a cup to mum's mouth and just give very small amounts of liquid into her mouth at a time. At times like this eating jelly can help get fluid in, I made a jelly with tinned soft fruit and the juice from can, satsuma in particular make a nice one. Although jelly is eaten it is seen as fluid once in the body. I also blend fruit with Angel Delight and that does same thing, easy to eat but providing fluid.

 

[Onlyme]

I used a small spouted sippy cup when Mum became unable to suck from a straw.

 

[caring a]

thks so much for all you very helpful advice,,very much appriciated,,,
i can report happily i ussually give mum a parasetamol each day,,but tonight i gave her a full dose....2 tabs,,,,,,
she seemed to calm down and become more attentive,,,,she eaten a lovely meal,,,with help,,,but more importantly drank well from straw,,,,,
i wander wiether she might have been geting a bit of a temp,,,as shes had cold and the paras have brought her back,,,
i guesss tiomorrow something else will confront me but tonight shell be going to bed with me feeling weve won the curse of az another day,,
bless you all for your kind words and thk you,,means so much when your bit down..

xxxxx

 

[angecmc]

Hi, I have just got my Mum a cup called a novo cup it looks like a straw in the beaker but you just tip it up like drinking from a normal cup so no need to suck, it worked well for my Mum, got it from a local chemist that sells all sorts of equipment to help in illness x

Ange