The staff doctor seeing my father at the hospital has ordered dad have nothing by mouth because he thinks dad is aspirating everything into his lungs.and he wants to put in a feeding tube. Can my father refuse the feeding tube and demand to be given food and drink? He has asked to be transferred to another hospital where his own doctors go and will decide with them the best course of treatment but the transfer may take a day or two and he does not want to be without food or have a feeding tube down his nose.
Has anyone experienced this?
It is this doctor who does no agree with all 4 assessments and is withholding food/liquid. This is a hospitalist who does not know my dad or his case. I talked to this doc at length last evening and his options were a) nothing by mouth or b) NG tube. I felt we were being strong armed into this decision and it is one my father wants to make with his own doctors, not a doctor not familiar with his case.
As of this morning after I've fussed a lot my father is in the process of being transferred out of this hospital and to the hospital where his own doctors have privileges. His own doctors are not in favor of a feeding tube for him at this time.
I'm finding I really need to educate myself on things so I know what I'm talking about with doctors. I also find I need to immediately identify myself as dad's primary caregiver for the past 12 years and that I am very familiar with his multiple issues and O2 needs.
This doctor also took him off BiPAP because of acid reflux. His regular pulmonary doctor finds BiPAP really helps him. Hopefully when he is at his regular hospital we'll get everything back on track.
My advice is use your own judgment - you know your family member better than anyone. If you don't agree with treatment or want your own doc involved - make it happen.
We were told today that if the feeding tube had been inserted through his nose as the hospitalist had wanted it could have perferated a diriticula in his esphogas and caused a more serious threat than we already had.
I am so happy I stuck to my convictions and forced the issue of moving dad.
When my father was at a different hospital he was seen and followed by the hospitalist (I just started hearing this term this week) and the hospitalist has followed his case.
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