I HAVE JUST MOVED THIS POST HERE I USUALLY POST AT THE CAREGIVERS FORUM BUT I DONT GET SO MANY RESPONSES . IT COULD BE DUE TO HOW FAR ALONG MY DEAR MOM IS . SO I THOUGHT TO TRY HERE .THANX IN ADVANCE
Good Morning to all long time since I have written . But I am constantly reading your posts . Wishing everyone peace !!!

I would like to know how any of you deal with conjestion and phlem buildup.. Mom Irene has been totally bedridden since june 2007 ,she is in the last stages ( i think its past the last stage).She does have a peg tube so most all that she is fed is nutrition shakes ..she can also still swallow but we have taken away feeding by mouth lately..I do know the the nutrition drinks may be making phlem(sorry if spelling is wrong) but i am not stopping that since it is her only nutrition ..i use an expectorant but does any have other ideas or info ??

Sincerely

Are you taking care of your mom (mother-in-law) at home? My mom, who just died on May 5, 2008, did not have any trouble with this except when she was in the hospital in February 2008 with pneumonia. In the hospital, they gave her a breathing treatment and I even think they gave her some breathing treatments at the nursing home for a while after that. If you have hospice, do they recommed anything for that? That's about all I can tell you. Maybe someone else has had experience with this.
I am sorry you and your family are going through this. Since my mom died last week, the very thought of Alzheimer's just makes me sick at my stomach. Hang in there!!!

Yazzie,
I answered you on the other site!Please, read it there!


Hope it helps

Peace and Hope,

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE ADVICE. MOM IS ON HOSPICE ALREADY . THEY DID SAY TO GIVE HER MORE WATER. THEY WONT SWITCH THE NUTRITION MILK BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THAT COMPANY ( I WISH THEY WOULD). THEY NEVER SUGGESTED A SUCTION DEVICE OR ANY MEDS EXCEPT FOR THE EXPECTORANT .. I WILL ASK THE NURSE... THANX VERY MUCH

HI,
Sometimes milk causes an excess buildup of phlem. Offer small sips of water during the shake. Also, if she can deep breathing, turn your head and coughing can help excess build up and prevent pneumonia. Hope this helps.
Tiara

This is my first post.

Julia, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I lost my dad on March 2, 2008 so I'm not much further along in my grief than you.

My dad was in a nursing home with hospice tending to him. He became bedridden about 3 weeks before he died. Once his feet and ankles became rigid, he was in a wheelchair which was probably around September or October of 2007 when he was in an Alzheimer's facility. We transferred him to a nursing facility mid-January 2008. Daddy would have been 90 in July. My mother took care of him (she'll be 85) until April of 2007 when I took over the decisions on his care. His last 2 weeks he was unable to feed himself and I began giving the milkshakes, a few small sips at a time and then water. Two days before, he could no longer swallow and the day he died, even his eyelids were rigid and he could no longer blink.

We wanted no tubes attached to him and only that he kept comfortable until the end. Daddy was deaf and was almost blind from macular degeneration and could no longer communicate. We know he would not have been happy with this quality of life, so we let him go.

I have gone totally off subject. I'm sorry, but I guess I had to get it out with others who would understand.

Mary Irwin