Swallow to feeling tube

[GallowwayGirl88]

With dementia how quickly did your parent/ loved one go from loosing the ability to swallow to needing a feeding tube?

Did you chose to have a feeding tube used or not? Why?

Feeding tubes are not normally recommended in dementia, the main reason being that they don't improve a persons quality of life, and while they do provide a route of nutrition the evidence is that they also dont improve life expectancy.

People with cognitive and memory changes often try and pull them out and are distressed by them. Ethically there is also a difficult call as to whether it could be seen as force feeding someone and also when to stop tube feeding to allow someone to die naturally and peacefully.

Decline in swallow in dementia is a symptom of a declining in other bodily functions. If however if sudden change or was present at starts of dementia journey this would be a red flag to discuss with GP and push for a speech therapy assessment

Please consider contacted your local speech therapy service and / or hospice who might be able to chat with you depending on where your loved on is with there dementia journey

However if swallow decline is a first symptom it could be something other than dementia so please do push for support

bellow are some helpful links

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/daily-living/eating-drinking

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/help-dementia-care/end-life-care-communication-physical-needs#:~:text=Most%20healthcare%20professionals%20now%20agree,of%20life%20or%20longer%20life.

brilliant and comprehensive reply from @Sailawaygirl

@GallowwayGirl88 The feeding tube would cause more distress to your relative and I do wonder if the medical team are pushing because it's easier for them?

Thinking of you with such a difficult decision 🌼

Thank you for your replies.

No one is pushing for a tube, it was just my own curiosity.

Unfortunately they are in a nursing home as they were no longer safe at home. SALT are due out this week, and the nurse has already put in place a textured diet.

It a horrible situation for everyone. So sad.

Glad care home have organised SLT depending on how involved you are with care of loved one in care home there is loads of evidence that cognitive stimulation before a meal can really help a person with dementia food intake and ability to eat with less support. ( think of it like of we sit in bed all day food is not so interesting but if we go for a nice walk we are more motivated).
A really good thing for cognitive stimulation is music.

https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/

My mum had dementia and was in a care home. When she started having difficulty swallowing they suggested puréed food. That was a swift " I'm not eating mush" . The chef in mums care home was brilliant though and sat down with a speech therapist who used to come to the home to work out a diet that looked liked proper food . He made her vanilla cheesecake without the biscuit base, jelly, the equivalent of angel delight, soups etc. this worked for a couple of months but in the last few weeks of her life she didn't want to eat anything. They offered food to her always but mostly she said no or moved her face away . The home GP explained exactly what was happening to her body and she just gently faded away.

It's different for everyone but sadly once people need to go into a care home for dementia they do tend to deteriorate rapidly