Alzheimer's Blog:

Assisted Oral Feeding and Tube Feeding

The Alzheimer’s Association has addressed the issue of end-of-life nutrition and hydration in several documents. The 1994 statement Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with Advanced Dementia includes the following position: Severely and irreversibly demented patients need only care given to make them comfortable. If such a patient is unable to receive food and water by mouth, it is ethically permissible to choose to withhold nutrition and hydration artificially administered by vein or gastric tube. Spoon feeding should be continued if needed for comfort.

Ethical Issues In Alzheimer's Disease

http://www.alz.org/alzwa/documents/alzwa_Resource_EOL_FS_Oral_Feeding.pdf

Hope this helps. It is a hard decision on what to do toward the end stages of Alzheimer's. You are not alone. I have been there. If you need to discuss this please e-mail me.

Sincerely, Marie Fostino

Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal - Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.

www.mariefostino.com www.mariefostino.blogspot.com