Any caregiver had to make this decision? Dad had a stroke and had difficulty swallowing. Speech therapist made recommendation to do a nasal tube but they tried 5x and dad refused after 6th. He then had a seizure next morning and whatever consciousness he had was gone. He's no longer able to swallow meds with small spoon of apple sauce. I bought up PEG and doctor ordered the procedure. Am I doing the right thing? Or best thing? Is it too early?
I took the decision not to have it done and moved him to hospice. He died 3 days later. I still think it was the best decision I could have made because it is what he wanted. Before you agree to the procedure consider how invasive it is and the significant impact it will have on his life. If there he won't improve and the only reason for the PEG is to keep him alive, consider if this is the best option for him.
Did he ever make his end of life wishes clear in a written document?
Are you doing the right or best thing? Only time can tell. You make the best decisions you can given the information and guidance you have at the time. Ask the doctors for their best judgment. I truly hope you’ll see progress and a great recovery soon if that’s what is possible. In any case, I wish both you and your dad peace
Are you expecting that he will suddenly wake and he can go home to a normal life? You may be looking at a life in a nursing home. You really need to find out the severity of the stroke.
I think you have to ask yourself if you want to see your father in such a condition. Others have mentioned important points of view such as speaking more thoroughly with the doctor as to his future health wise. It is also wise to understand more fully the affect of the stroke.
Sometimes a life is over before the body gives up. I don't see the point of an elderly compromised person having a feeding tube.
Those are questions that need to be answered before you make the decision about having a PEG put in him, because if he's not ever going to get any better, why put him through that?
If the prognosis is not good, you may want to instead talk to his doctors about either putting a PICC line or Midline in his arm so they can at least administer any medications needed, and get hospice on board for his comfort care.
And had your dad made his wishes known(MOST form or advance directives) about to what extreme he wanted to be kept alive? Hopefully he had and that just helps make your decision making a bit easier as you will be doing his wishes instead of yours.
When my husband at the age of 48 had a massive stroke and was having swallowing issues they put a PEG in fairly quickly only to have to take it back out a week or so later as my husband began to swallow on his own again. But my husband was much younger, and while he survived the stroke it left him with many permanent disabilities that he lived with until his death at the age of 72.
I'm sorry that you're having to go through this, but at this point I would do what is best for your dad and what you know or think he would want done.
God bless you.