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> Also - I would like to know about feeding tubes. When my dad was in the > nursing home there was a man that was on one but he was totally > unresponsive like he was in a coma. The case above (father-in-law) they > chose not to use a feeding tube. Sandi, feeding tubes are placed in people who have difficulty swallowing, so folks who are alert and oriented to time, place and self may have one if they have a history of aspiration pneumonia and fail a swallowing evaluation (aspiration pneumonia occurs when food enters the trachea instead of the esophagus because of an inadequate swallowing reflex). If your father is losing weight because he can no longer swallow affectivity, a 'stomach tube' or PEG might be a consideration. They are easy to maintain and provide adequate nutrition to the person who cannot eat enough food to maintain a decent weight or condition. ----- God bless Mary Ann (CG Jamie 61/21)