A dying patient is being cared for at home. The family relates to the hospice nurse that they are distressed that the patient no longer wants favorite food items. What response by the nurse is best?
a. "Dying people don't usually want to eat."
b. "Your loved one won't starve to death."
c. "Why do you insist of trying to feed her?"
d. "Is there another way you can show car-ing?"
D
Dying patients often have anorexia, and research shows that eating and drinking can actually in-crease distressing symptoms. However, the provision of food is universally seen as an act of car-ing and people place great emphasis on eating. The nurse can best help the family by helping them identify other ways to show caring. The other options do not give any useful information and could be seen as a cold response.
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