Unable to shift phlegm

[Hihosilver123]

Mum is in the final stages of dementia. It’s been a long, slow decline and she’s been bed-bound for a year. She's 91. The care home told me this morning that she’s struggling to clear her phlegm which means she’s finding it hard to eat and drink much. This is a new stage. The doc will see her today but I wonder whether we are heading towards end of life care? Does anyone have any experience? Thank you.

My mum had the same issue just before she died. What seemed to be just a lot of dribble quickly turned into pneumonia. Your mum's case might be different but it does look indeed like end of life care. Im sorry, OP.

My MIL had this in her last 48hrs. That’s not to say your mum is down to her last couple of days, but it can be a sign of the muscles relaxing/ weakening. It’s awful to watch but the hospice nurses assured us she wasn’t distressed by it. They can give meds to dry the secretions, but then their mouth and throat can get too dry so they advised us against that. Gentle hug to you.

Thank you. They have put her on a drug to try and clear up the secretions a bit as she is struggling to clear it herself. The doc has prescribed the end of life meds but she’s not on them yet. It’s been a long hard slog for her so the end will bring some relief, as well as sadness of course.

Having a relative with Alzheimer’s is like death by a thousand cuts, it drains everything you have. The end brings a real mix of emotions, there are no rights or wrongs, just be kind to yourself.