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Posting for traffic, anyone with experience of stroke in the elderly?

3 replies

Dryaged · 16/07/2023 09:40

My DGM suffered a big stroke on Friday, she’s 96 years old.

Currently fully aware and lucid but is fully disabled down one side of her body (no movement) her face is paralysed on one side and their not sure whether she can swallow ( she failed to be able to swallow some water).

Shes been without food since Thursday evening as the SALT team don’t work weekends and she was found Friday afternoon unwell. She’s so hungry but can’t have anything.

Shes on a drip, catheterised but apart from that nothing at all. It must be awful for her.

Weve all been able to visit her on the acute stroke ward but can’t really get any answers as to what the next steps are. I think they are able to do nothing until the SALT team sees her tomorrow.

Does anyone have experience of this? What happens if she can’t swallow? Wil they just leave her to starve away? She’s fully aware so the thought of this breaks me heart.

If anyone has had this experience I’d be grateful to hear about it, even if it didn’t end well. She’s 96 and had a wonderful life, I’m so sad to think of her last days like this.

OP posts:
Mbop · 16/07/2023 10:04

No direct experience but my DH has two strokes at 57.

If there is no swallow it will mean tube feeding, they certainly won't starve her. The loss on one side is common and can improve with time, physio etc.

SALT will assess her gag and swallow and they advise the type of diet required. So initially tube fed or sips of liquid then they go up in stages so for example yogurt, soup, then if that's tolerated soft food, then lumpy, then ordinary diet.

I would question what nutrition she is getting though as it's unacceptable for her not to have anything unless there's stuff in the drip to sustain her.

Ilikewinter · 16/07/2023 10:15

Agree with PP they will tube feed her. However to have nothing since Thursday is horrendous, are you sure there isnt anything in the drip tube she has in?

Dryaged · 16/07/2023 14:23

They’ve just put a tube feed in, they’ve tried again this morning and she’s failed a swallow test with water. Hopefully when the SALT team come tomorrow they will try with a thickened liquid.
It’s so sad, she’s had such a lovely life and has been relatively well until now. Thanks all

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