| class="googleright"> | | | | In this recent article on determining hospice eligibility |
| In my conversations with families of patients with | | | | for dementia patients, I refer to the Functional |
| Alzheimerâs disease, they often have | | | | Assessment Staging (FAST) scale, which is used to |
| anxiety over withholding or withdrawing artificial | | | | determine dementia progression. Patients progressing |
| hydration and nutrition. What should be done when a | | | | through the various stages will ultimately reach the |
| patient refuses to eat? What does this behavior | | | | point when they refuse food and fluids. In addition to |
| mean? This article will help illustrate the importance of | | | | helping clinicians determine the progression of a |
| education in alleviating common family fears and in | | | | patientâs dementia, the FAST scale also |
| helping families learn to advocate for their loved one. | | | | helps us understand certain behaviors, such as |
| What happens when a patient stops receiving | | | | refusing to eat, that patients exhibit. |
| nutrition and hydration? | | | | |