An older patient with Alzheimer's disease has a feeding tube. The family wants to know if the patient will ever be able to eat solid food again. What information should the nurse include when responding to this family's question?
1. The dietitian will decide if this can be done.
2. It depends upon the patient's functional eating abilities.
3. This can be done but the feeding tube has to be removed first.
4. In the patient with dementia, the restoration of natural feeding is highly unlikely.
2. It depends upon the patient's functional eating abilities.
Explanation: 1. The dietitian helps determine a feeding plan but does not determine if the patient will be able to eat solid food again. This is based upon the patient's functional eating abilities.
2. Even older people with advanced Alzheimer's disease can revert to natural feeding after tube feeding. An individualized care plan, based on the older person's target body weight and functional eating abilities, should be developed by an interdisciplinary team that includes a nurse, dietitian, and physician.
3. Natural feeding can begin with the tube in place until the older person's eating is reestablished.
4. Even older people with advanced Alzheimer's disease can revert to natural feeding after tube feeding.
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