Tag: Hospice

Recent research in Switzerland estimated that voluntary stopping eating and drinking (VSED), a form of voluntary starvation, accounted for 1.7% of deaths in nursing homes, highlighting its growing presence in end-of-life planning. This deliberate act is a complex end-of-life option chosen by a competent adult seeking to control the timing and manner of their death due to unbearable suffering from a terminal or incurable illness.

While healthy individuals can typically survive for several weeks without food if they have access to water, the timeframe for a sick person is significantly shorter and varies dramatically based on the nature of the illness and other individual factors. This is because illness places extra stress on the body, which requires a ready supply of nutrients and energy to combat infection and repair tissue. The body's energy reserves are a fragile resource, depleted much faster when fighting disease.

Experts estimate that in the absence of any intervention, a person can only survive for 8 to 21 days without food, provided they are receiving water. For a person in a coma, the specific answer to how long can a person in a coma live without food depends heavily on whether medical professionals are providing nourishment and other life support.

Studies show that up to 70% of hospitalized older adults experience undernutrition, a condition that can be preceded by a refusal to eat. Knowing what to do if a person stops eating is crucial for their well-being, whether it's a temporary issue or a sign of a more serious underlying problem.

Decisions about artificial nutrition at the end of life are common, but often influenced more by beliefs than evidence. The question of 'Can you be on TPN while on hospice?' involves navigating complex medical, ethical, and personal considerations, weighing potential benefits against the risks and burdens for a patient in their final stages of life.