Pros and Cons of Feeding Tubes for the Elderly

Feeding tubes for the elderly are one of the most important methods that doctors may depend on to provide patients with a sufficient amount of food, especially if they suffer from acute or chronic health problems that prevent them from being able to eat normally. Here, feeding tubes, such as stomach feeding tubes for the elderly, are an important solution to save the patient’s life.

Feeding Tubes for the Elderly

Feeding tubes for the elderly are safe and flexible, and vacuum tubes are available in various types. They provide a quick and direct method for delivering nutrition, fluids, and medications directly to the stomach and digestive system.

Most doctors resort to feeding tubes when elderly people are unable to eat or swallow normally.

Reasons for Feeding Tube Use in Older Adults

There are many reasons why feeding tubes for the elderly are used, such as:

• Providing the patient with adequate and necessary amounts of food, fluids, and medications.
• Ensuring that food and fluids reach the digestive system directly and do not end up in the lungs, thus protecting the patient from aspiration pneumonia.
• A digestive aid, especially for the elderly who suffer from digestive and gastrointestinal motility problems.
• Feeding tubes may also help relieve bloating, gas, nausea, and vomiting.

 

Also read: Elderly care cost per hour

 

Types of Feeding Tubes Used for Elderly Patients

Many types of Feeding Tubes for the Elderly can be used, some of which are temporary and short-term, while others are long-term. The most important of these types are the following:

• Nasogastric feeding tube: The tube is inserted through the nose and reaches the stomach.
• Nasoduodenal feeding tube: This tube is also inserted through the nose and reaches the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine immediately after the stomach.
• Nasojejunal feeding tube: The tube is inserted through the nose and reaches the second part of the small intestine after the duodenum, which is known as the jejunum.
• PEG feeding tube: This tube is inserted surgically by penetrating the skin and abdominal wall to reach the stomach directly. The endoscopic method is used to insert the tube properly.
• PEJ (Percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy): It mimics the PEG tube, but here the tube is surgically and endoscopically inserted into the jejunum.

It is worth mentioning that elderly feeding tube how long live differs from one type to another, and it may last for 3 to 12 months.

Feeding Tubes After a Stroke in the Elderly

It is difficult for a patient to obtain the necessary nutrition and fluids naturally after a stroke. Therefore, feeding tubes after stroke in the elderly are a safe and effective way to deliver food, fluids, and medication to the patient and protect them from dehydration and swallowing difficulties.

 

Also read: Overnight home care for the elderly

 

Pros and Cons of Feeding Tubes in the Elderly

Feeding tubes for the elderly offer many therapeutic benefits to patients, but some disadvantages must be taken into account at the same time, such as:

Pros of Feeding Tubes for the Elderly

It is useful in feeding patients, as it ensures that the body is supplied with the necessary nutrients, prevents dehydration and malnutrition, and gives medications to those who cannot swallow easily, especially in the following cases:

• After strokes or neurological diseases that affect a person’s ability to swallow.
• In the case of patients with advanced dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Patients with certain chronic diseases that experience a loss of the ability to eat or swallow food normally.
• It is also useful for feeding patients during recovery periods after major surgeries and in critical cases.

Cons of Feeding tubes for the elderly

The Feeding Tubes for the Elderly itself is safe and does not cause any harm, but incorrect use and failure to seek help from home healthcare services, such as home nursing services, to care for the patient, can cause harm. These harms include:

• Inflammation and redness at the tube insertion site, especially when using PEG and PEJ.
• The patient may feel uncomfortable while using the tube.
• Incorrect tube use can increase the risk of pulmonary aspiration.

Alternatives to Feeding Tubes in Senior Care

The Common Alternatives to Feeding Tubes for the Elderly are:

Hand feeding

It refers to the provision of food to a patient using a spoon or cup by another person when the patient is partially able to swallow but cannot feed themselves.

Assistant feeding

It relies on support during eating, such as helping the patient grasp utensils or guiding their hands, with direct supervision from a caregiver, such as home nursing services in the UAE, especially in cases such as dementia or mild muscle weakness.

 

Also read: Taking care of the elderly in your home

 

When Is It Wrong to Use a Feeding Tube in the Elderly?

Feeding tubes for the elderly is not recommended for patients with advanced dementia. It is also not preferred for patients with other chronic conditions, such as cancer or neuromuscular diseases, or hopeless cases, because it can harm the patient, especially if the patient is uncomfortable with it and does not want it.

Emotional and Ethical Considerations for Families

The ethical considerations prohibit using feeding tubes for the elderly who are uncomfortable with them, have not consented, and have not previously been recommended to them.

especially, that the use of these tubes does not improve the quality of life, as many believe, but it can lead to a deterioration in the psychological state of some patients. 

Therefore, it is important to carefully consider the patient’s feelings and consider alternatives, with the help of elderly care in Dubai.

 

Also read: The pros and cons of home health care

 

Feeding Tube Care and Maintenance at Home

You can take care of and maintain the feeding tube at home by:

• Clean the tube site thoroughly daily to avoid infection and inflammation.
• Ensure that feeding equipment (such as syringes and tubes) is sterilized after each use.
• Feed the patient slowly to avoid bloating or nausea, and follow the doctor’s instructions, especially regarding the amounts and types of food, liquids, and medications.
• Be sure to rinse the tube thoroughly with water before and after each meal or dose of medication to prevent its blockage.
• Note any signs of infection, such as fever, pain, and redness around the tube, or changes in the color or odor of the discharge, and seek immediate medical healthcare services.
• Record daily notes on the patient’s condition, whether they are receptive to the feeding tube or experiencing any problems or complications, and consult the doctor regularly.

In general, it is preferable to request the services of home nursing services in UAE that specialize in elderly care and are able to handle feeding tubes well to provide the best possible healthcare for the patient.

Quality of Life with a Feeding Tube – By Lana Life Care

Having Lana Life Care’s home health care services for seniors who use feeding tubes in Dubai is the best choice

We have a dedicated team of home health care providers who are able to use Feeding Tubes for the Elderly professionally, without causing the patient any discomfort or psychological distress.

Contact us now .. Request specialized home nursing services .. and we promise to improve your patient’s quality of life as much as possible.

FAQs

why are feeding tubes necessary

It is necessary in the case of patients who cannot swallow normally, as it helps protect the patient from dehydration and health problems by ensuring that food, drink, and medicine reach the digestive tract directly.

can you live a normal life with a feeding tube?

Yes, it is possible, provided that the tube is cleaned daily and used correctly.

Cost and Insurance Coverage of Feeding Tubes for Seniors

The cost of feeding tubes varies depending on the type and care required, but most health insurance plans cover them, especially if they are medically necessary.

How Lana Life Care Supports Tube-Fed Elderly Patients

Lana Life Care Clinic provides a home nursing team specialized in caring for feeding tube users, with the ability to develop personalized feeding plans and provide health and psychological support to ensure the comfort of the patients and their families.

What are the problems with feeding tubes in the elderly?

The patient may sometimes experience infection, tube displacement, risk of pulmonary aspiration, and discomfort.

What are the disadvantages of a feeding tube?

These include physical discomfort, health complications, long-term dependence, decreased quality of life, and psychological stress for the patient and his family.

 

source:

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2118023/

https://www.healthinaging.org/tools-and-tips/ask-expert-tube-feeding-and-alternatives-older-adults-advanced-dementia