Education

Artificial Feeding

A decreased ability to eat is a natural, very common occurence during the end-of-life process.

Artificial feeding with a tube is a medical procedure in which a tube is surgically inserted into the stomach and the patient is given liquid nutrition. It is not a natural way to eat.  Feeding tubes help mainly with medical conditions that can be reversed somewhat over time like a stroke.

Hospice patients may keep their feeding tube if it is providing comfort to the patient. Otherwise, other alternatives are suggested, such as “comfort” feedings—small spoonfuls of thickened liquids fed with patients sitting upright, chin tucked, on a one-on-one bases—which is best way to prevent aspiration.