Mother-in-law is down to 69 lbs. How much more weight can she possibly lose?

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cloudyskies Asked November 2014

Mother-in-law is down to 69 lbs. How much more weight can she possibly lose?

My 84-year-old mother in law broke her hip this past spring, and has declined steadily.

In seven months time she has lost 40 lbs. She is now down to 69 lbs.

For the past month or so she has been surviving on perhaps 1/2 to 1 cup of water per day, and a few bites of applesauce or crackers. Every day she sits up straight in the wheelchair for several hours. The rest of the time, she sleeps in bed.

She is about 5'1". How much more weight can she lose and still survive?

Does anyone here have any experience with this? What is the lowest weight you've heard of a person reaching, and still surviving?

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score 0 · Answer 1

Hello, I just wanted to check back in to say that my mother-in-law passed away several days after that post. We are taking it one day at a time. Thanks for your input.

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score 0 · Answer 2

Thank you for replying and for your support. I should have mentioned that yes, she is already in hospice. She has been in hospice at home for five months now and they are providing a lot of services. I asked the nurse if she had seen any patients below 69 pounds and she said no. I just can't imagine how much longer this can humanly go on. How is this possible? She is skin and bones.

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score 0 · Answer 3

Definitely call Hospice. They will make mom comfortable and give you much reassurance, not to mention a visiting nurse, all covered by Medicare.

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score 0 · Answer 4

That is a BMI of only 13... extremely low. You can see some chat about levels lower than that on anorexia forums, but those ladies are just skin and bones. My heart goes out to you. Is she in pain? Have you tried supplements like ensure? I agree with sunnygirl, it's way past time to call in hospice. They can answer all your questions and may be able to help stabilize her weight, even help her improve depending on her underlying conditions.

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score 0 · Answer 5

I researched when Hospice is called in recently and I think that when a patient loses that much weight, they qualify for a recommendation from their doctor. Has that happened?

I haven't encountered anything like your mother-in-law's situation, but I bet there are others here who have and may be able to offer you some information. I know you are very concerned.

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Mother-in-law is down to 69 lbs. How much more weight can she possibly lose?

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