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R
rustylang Asked April 2019

How long can someone go without food?

Nncbb57 Apr 2019
Going on seven days for my Dad.

Caregiverhelp11 Apr 2019
My Mother is going on 4 months now! She was taking a few bites
of yogurt or ice cream, but the past month, she really isn't interested
in any of that anymore. The only thing she will take is hot chocolate
and ice tea. She is skin and bones, she is 91 years old and stuck in
bed. She is tired and very weak, but still has been able to communicate.

It has been totally amazing to me that she has been able to live this
long without much nutrition. It is very sad to see her like this.

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mollymoose Apr 2019
The three days without water is a myth. I found that out when my father-in-law went in hospice. He was without food 7days, without any fluids by mouth 4 days (but had two days of IV fluids before being transferred). He was 89.

When I asked the same question to the hospice nurse, he told me it depended on the person. He said one time they had a poor soul that was without any nutrition for almost thirty days, but that was extremely rare.

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