AboutMargot RN BScN CGN Expertise I nursed my own Mother and Grandmother at home when they were dying so I have personal experience with the emotions involved. I have also spent the last 15+ years as a Registered Nurse caring for The Elderly and Terminally Ill and it has brought me great satisfaction. I am willing to answer any questions I can.
Experience
Past/Present clients Hundreds of Long Term Care Residents as well as hundreds of Cleitns and families in the community (including my Mother and Grandmother).
Question When near end of life with alzheimer's disease and refusing food and drink, is it best to let death occur naturally or to provide artificial nutrition with an IV? Do patients suffer when dying of starvation/dehydration? How long does it take for someone to die without food or water?
Answer Hi Lisa and thanks for writing,
I am sorry but I really cannot guess how long your mother may last in her current condition - I have seen too many patients linger for years despite end stage Alzheimer's and no quality of life - they sometimes live for years much like new born babies requiring total care, sometimes including manual bowel extraction. I have also seen other patients slip away quite quickly with no obvious cause of death, they just decline until they quietly pass.
I cannot say your Mother is close to passing on unless there are signs her system is shutting down - has he condition suddenly deteriorated in the past few weeks, or has it been more of a gradual decline over the years. I would watch for signs of deteriorated health like chest congestion (remember they call pneumonia “the old man’s best friend” as it’s a relatively peaceful way to pass on), urinary tract infection (dark or smelly urine) or increased sedation and decreased appetite.
Also remember that although we always want to provide adequate nutrition and fluids, we do not want to force feed anyone – don’t feel it’s a crime to allow someone to quietly slip away as they eat less and grow weaker, it’s only a crime if we intentionally withhold food or fluids. I would never put a feeding tune in anyone I care about that is over 80 and has an advanced illness or multiple health issues; I think it is a cruel intervention which does nothing to promote quality of life and will only delay death and not allow someone to have a natural death when the body is ready to shut down.
Always watch for signs of discomfort and make sure she is given adequate analgesics or even narcotics if she appears to be in pain (facial grimacing or moaning with movement);l you might want to give some Tylenol 30 minutes before each time you get her up during the day. Pain medication comes in many forms, tablets, liquids and even skin patches and should be a primary goal when caring for end stage dementia patients. Decreased food and fluid intake is a natural part of passing and is not painful and we should not force fluids artificially via IV.
Take care and please feel free to write again anytime if you have more questions or concerns,
