Eating and Drinking

This is also a time when there is very little eating and drinking, if any at all. At this stage, food or water will not help the suffering, and it will not prolong life. In fact, when the body's system slows down, food and water may not be processed properly. If you try to feed someone who is very sleepy, it may cause the food or water to go down into the lungs, so be very careful.

If the person asks for water, raise the head of the bed a little, and feed them ice chips or give them small amounts of water using a syringe or a bapy cup with a spout. If you hear the person cough or have trouble breathing while you are giving them water, stop immediately.

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This page was last updated: October 27th, 2004 at 10:07am.