Ethics of Supplemental Feeding

Question 1

What is mental incapacity?

Answer 1

Incapable of

(a) acting; or
(b) making decisions; or
(c) communicating decisions; or
(d) understanding decisions; or
(e) retaining the memory of decisions

Question 2

Define basic care

Answer 2

Those procedures essential to keep an individual comfortable.

This includes warmth, shelter, pain relief, management of distressing symptoms (such as breathlessness or vomiting), hygiene measures (such as the management of incontinence) and the offer of oral nutrition and hydration

Question 3

Should oral nutrition and hydration be withdrawn?

Answer 3

No, should always be offered but should not be forced upon patient’s who resist or express a clear refusal.

Question 4

What is life-prolonging treatment?

Answer 4

Refers to all treatment which has the potential to postpone a patients death. Includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation, artificial ventilation, chemotherapy, dialysis, antibiotics when given for a potentially life-threatening infection and artificial nutrition and hydration

Question 5

What is artifical nutrition and hydration

Answer 5

Refers specifically to those techniques for providing nutrition or hydration which are used to bypass a pathology in the swallowing process. It includes the use of nasogastric tubes, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG feeding) and total parenteral nutrition.

Question 6

Can life-prolongong treatment and artificial hydration be removed?

Answer 6

Following legal judgments, these techniques are classed as medical treatment which may be withdrawn in some circumstances.