Older adults who eat alone might not enjoy meals as before and lose interest in cooking and eating. Adults with limited mobility may not have access to food or the right types of food. If an older adult doesn’t seem to have physical reasons for avoiding food, it can be useful to examine possible social reasons. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy does not prolong survival in patients with dementia. Murphy LM, Lipman TO. Acceptance that death is near. Even after successfully treating an emergency or carrying out a surgery, hospitals carry their own […] Hospitalization typically comes after a surgery (which always carries risk) or an emergency situation. Quill T. Utilization of nasogastric feeding tubes in a group of chronically ill, elderly patients in a community hospital. Eating healthy food and drinking enough water are important in maintaining healthy skin and play a key role in wound healing. If these issues aren’t causing the loss of appetite, your best bet is to experiment with different ways to get your older adult to eat. She gave up after that and wouldn't eat a thing. It was not a good experience, of which I won't go into, but when she came out the GP was certain that she'd had a stroke. I think it's possible she's telling you that she's had enough. Not eating can have short-term side effects like reduced energy and gastrointestinal stress. Depression. This is a mental dysfunction signified by a sudden onslaught of confusion, inattention, and disorientation. Now she is in hospital because she is being sick and refusing to eat or drink anything because she is afraid of being sick! I was told it could be removed after 6 weeks if we wanted. Arch Intern Med. Healthy eating and drinking in hospital . Not eating and drinking enough is a common problem for older people in hospital and it can slow down your recovery. It helps for seniors to eat with loved ones, friends, and at community or senior centers as much as possible to avoid depression and loneliness that can result in not eating… A hospital stay is not, generally, a pleasant endeavor. Delirium is a sudden change in mental status characterized by confusion, disorientation, altered states of consciousness (from hyperalert to unrousable), an inability to focus, and sometimes hallucinations. The first and most important thing to do is rule out serious health conditions, medication side effects, or dental problems as the cause of their loss of appetite. Poverty or not being able to afford food can be one of the main reasons for not eating. Limited access to food. The elderly often live alone in senior homes with limited support. Many older people develop delirium when they are hospitalized. Not eating at end stage dementia is a characteristic that poses severe difficulties for the caregiver and this can pose the patients at risk of under nutrition. My poor father has the patients of a saint and is quite poorly himself and does not know where to turn for help as all the avenues have been ventured. In some cases, an older person might stop eating because he or she thinks that the end is near. 2003 Jun 9;163 (11):1351-1353. My stupid brother had them put in a feeding tube. Arch Intern Med. The hospital have done numerous tests to no avail. For elderly people and their loved ones, any hospital stay carries a measure of anxiety and discomfort. First, rule out serious health problems. 1989 Sep;149(9):1937-1941. Don't believe that because it's not always true. We do believe she has had mini-strokes before and suspect this was the same thing. After she came out we discussed with the GP about Mum's quality of life etc and decided that she should not be admitted to hospital again. It’s one of the more common complications of hospital visits for elderly patients—approximately 20% of all elderly patients, 50% of those in surgery post-op, and a whopping 60% to 85% of patients on ventilation exhibit the signs. Not eating for a long time can result in organ failure and death. Mom had a broken neck but was then moved to a nursing home. Patients with end stage dementia are dependent in all activities of daily living and not eating is quite distressful for family members and healthcare professionals.