You are asked why the patient is not encouraged to eat You are asked why the patient is not encouraged to eat More Facts and Comments Questions from relatives regarding food intake may indicate a need to be more closely involved in decision making. However, they have had the confidence to ask you. You will need to understand that the change in eating patterns and appearance will be difficult for the family, who will continue to need your support. Decreased interest in food can be associated with external compression or partial restriction of the gastro-intestinal tract.
Nutrition is often a major issue and concern of terminally ill patients and their families.
It means different things to different people depending on whether they are ill or well. Medical interventions, e.g. chemotherapy, can affect nutrient requirements. Dehydration has been called a natural anaesthesia for terminally ill patients because it appears to decrease the patient's perception of suffering by reducing the level of consciousness. If anorexia is due to correctable causes and the patient has a predicted life expectancy of several months, the correctable causes should be treated aggressively if desired by the patient. If you push her to eat she'll feel uncomfortable.