Nutrition and Hydration at End of Life Bundle

This bundle contains both the Nutrition and Hydration at End of Life Video and Nutrition and Hydration at End of Life Handout to get you started in changing the lives of dying patients and their families.

End of life is hard, but you CAN feel more confident in supporting a dying patient and their families/caregivers. The video provides a 31- minute discussion to educate you on this topic so you feel confident to tackle it head on. The handout is a tool you can use after watching the video to help you guide your patients and their families through what is likely the hardest journey of their life.

Do you feel uncomfortable with this topic?

As a dietitian encountering patients at end of life, you likely:

• received no education in this area
• may feel ill-equipped in how to approach this topic
• may feel uncomfortable having these difficult conversations.

But the reality is, if you work with humans, at some point you will be working with a patient nearing end of life. And you need to be ready.

This bundle can help!

The handout is a simple, reproducible, one-page handout that covers:

• Eating and Drinking
• Hunger and Thirst
• Some Things to Remember
• Responsibilities (of caregiver & patient)

This 31-minute video isn’t just a slide show with sound. You can see the instructor and feel like you are part of the discussion. This video includes 2 real-life patient examples and 3 objectives:

• Understand what end-of-life care means.
• Describe the role of nutrition and hydration at end of life.
• Define the responsibilities of the caregiver and patient at end of life.

With this bundle, you will walk away understanding why this topic matters. In providing education on nutrition at end of life you are giving the gift of hope in the darkest hours for caregivers and loved ones of dying patients.

When could this bundle help you?

There are many situations where conversation on nutrition at end of life can occur. For example:

• A daughter whose father is on hospice is no longer eating; tearfully she asks you how she can make her dad eat more.
• A spouse asks you if a feeding tube should be initiated for her terminal husband who is no longer eating. She believes if he only he has more food, he will live longer.
• A dying patient complains that he is no longer hungry and feels sick from forcing himself to eat. He says his family worries so much and eats to make them happy.

When situations like these arise, ask permission to share what nutrition at end of life may look like. Emphasize that no one knows exactly when end of life will occur, but it helps to be prepared. Then use this handout to facilitate your conversation with compassion and kindness.

Lean into conversations on end of life

Leaning in to difficult conversations can help your patients improve their quality of life at a time when life left is short. You may be tempted to shy away from this topic- but please don’t! This bundle will leave you feeling confident, empowered, and inspired ready to tackle this topic.

Be sure to check out my FREE resource!

And finally, be sure to check out my free resource, Recommend Resources for End of Life Care, to further your knowledge and confidence in this topic dietitians need to learn more about!

Thank you for your support.