She is back in her NH but is refusing food and most liquids. Has she decided this is enough or should we be pushing more for her to try to recover. How long can a 90 Lbs person live like this? She has a living will that states no feeding tube and a DNR. I am so sad for her but part of me wants to keep her here and part of me wants to let her go.
Quite often with dementia surgery can be difficult.
First it takes a LONG time to get over the anesthesia. (talking possibly a month and even then not back to where she was prior to the anesthesia)
Then the rehab IF she is able to participate and many are not. So while the hip fracture is repaired there is still pain. (this makes everything difficult, including eating.)
Without surgery the life expectancy after a hip fracture might be 4 to 6 weeks with surgery it might be a bit longer than that but probably not much just due to pain and I am sure she is now pretty much confined to bed as placing her is a wheelchair would be painful.
I would say respect her wishes, if she is refusing to eat, continue to offer, and offer liquids like the enriched drinks, the enriched ice creams, puddings and the like. Once she stops liquids as well that will be very close to the end.
Keep in mind that WE associate food with all sorts of emotional things.
Love...I love you so I made you favorite dinner, I made a cake, cookies....
Wellness....Eat this soup it will make you feel better, you are sick so I made tea and toast.....
Sadness...I broke up with my boyfriend so I sat and ate a pint of ice cream..
But the body NEEDS food only as a source of energy. Once things start slowing down the body only needs to keep the heart going, the brain going. The feeling of hunger goes away. It does not need the food and it will not use the food if it is forced upon it so most likely the food will sit undigested in the stomach causing problems or it will be moved to the gut where it may cause blockages.
So if she is not eating do not force it,
Same with fluids and IV to provide fluids can cause problems as well.
Sorry I sort of rambled on with this but it is a topic I feel strongly about.
Again Hospice will provide you with help, education, support both emotionally and physically.
I remember after having surgery, the last thing I wanted to do was eat because when I did, I felt very nauseous. So give Mom some time to recoup. Bland food works best, like mashed potatoes for a start.
Broken hips are very serious. Some elderly don't survive them. Your Mom really doesn't have any fat to rely on. Like said, going under is very hard on the elderly and mix Dementia into it ... When my Dad was going for a second open heart surgery, he mentioned to the dr. that he had memory loss after the first one. The doctor told him that was true. Dad was in his mid 60s then.
If she is taking liquids ask that she be given Boost at least. You may want Hospice to evaluate her. When the body starts to shut down, food isn't even digested or absorbed.