DH is in a nursing home. Since he started asperating, dr. put him on Hospice. His food is pureed and liquids must be thickened. He's not bed-ridden and mostly has fairly good days. he doesn't eat much at all now and has lost weight. Now the other day, the nurses and the main one who feeds him said that he can have anything he wants to eat and liquids don't have to be thickened. The nurse said anything that gives him pleasure. They have me confused. Today I'm going to ask them to explain that to me. Aren't they worried about the asperating anymore? Thought I'd ask if any of you faced this one.
i dont think i would agree with that and would want to continue pureed foods as to not cause choking. my opinion of course sounds like they are resigned not to do anything that would prolong his demise. if its his time then i think nothing would help but seems out of the ordinary not to continue with pureed to make it easier on him. divvi
Carolyn I also disagree. Preventing choking and aspiration is not an option. An atropine or scopolomine patch behind his ear should dry up secretions to ease aspirating his own saliva.
This afternoon I talked to the one nurse that I like a lot. His food still needs to be pureed but they want him to drink a little of regular drinks (not thickened) so he doesn'tr get dehydrated. Now that makes sense to me. I have no idea why the other nurse said that he could eat anything he wanted now. Guess it pays to ask questions. BTW he does wear a patch behind his ear to help dry up secretions.
It is even more important to ask questions when the two people don't agree. I am pretty sure that once a person starts choking and asperating when they eat it wouldn't get any better to the point that they can eat solid food again. That doesn't make sense at all.
My DH is now on pudding thickened liquids. This is REAL thick..you can hold the cup upside down. His few joys in life is an ice cold root beer. The nurses say they have no memory of someone being put on this thick of liquids in over a year, and they said maybe they will reduce it to honey consistancy fromn pudding after a bit.
They just mentioned maybe I should consider a tube for feeding. NO WAY. Husband decided that himself years ago. He doesnt want it. He is on pureed food, which he scarfes down, but this liquid stuff doenst look very refreshing and he is not "drinking" as much. I worry dehydration may follow.
I talked to the Hospice nurse and she explained things better to me. They are not going to worry about DH having a well-balanced diet. If he like something special, let him have it. Food still has to be pureed but they do want him to have some not thickened liquid so he doesn't get dehydrated. Yesterday I took a little box of apple juice and asked if he could have it and they said yes. I put in it a plastic cup and he drank it all down.