i hardly know what to call this thread as what my husband is eating could barely be called a diet it is so little. After a hip break and three weeks in hospital he has now been in a nursing home for just over a week. SALT recommended level 4 purée and level 1 thickened liquid. He has 4 or 5 half teaspoons of food most of which he pouches and has to be removed and occasional sips of liquid.
He is disappearing before my eyes and sleeping most of the time. Very little speech left. How long can this go on? Should I just bring him home to die on his own bed? How would I do this? Ambulance and district nurses for catheters? He is on no medication at all now apart from painkillers if he should need them.
I don’t feel qualified to make these decisions. His 4 week assessment will end at the end of this month if he lasts that long. What should I do next?
So sorry to read this, my Dad is the same, he went into hospital with chronic constipation, he has Vascular and Alzheimer’s, while in hospital he had hospital acquired pneumonia and after 10 days the consultant to,d me nothing more could be done and he is palliative. I have him home with me, as he has aspirating pneumonia now he is also on stage 4 purée foid and thickened fluid. He is diabetic also. Yesterday all he had was 6 teaspoons of puréed broccoli and potato with gravy. He has slept all day today and I cannot even get him to suck a straw. I empathise with what you say that they disappear before our eyes. We can have carers in but I have chosen not, he has a hospital bed and slide sheets so we are able to carry on with his personal care and nappies. The district nurses came to see us yesterday and they have put so much in place, switching him to protein drinks, contacting hospice for night sitting if we need it. They are amazing., you could ring your local DN office for advice and they will help you to process everything you are going through. Although my Dad had the SALT assessment before he was discharged 4 days ago the DN have requested another urgent one, they also contacted on call GP yesterday and got prescriptions sorted for liquid antibiotics rather than the pills the hospital sent. I can’t get my Dad to oven his teeth so struggling with a spoon, I may try soup through a larger syringe. I hope you get the support that you and your Dad need x
