ABSTRACT
Nutritional and hydration decisions are taken to satisfy daily comfort needs. This chapter addresses that the nutritional and hydration needs of people receiving palliative care with an awareness that the major tenet of palliative care is the comfort of the individual. Medications that are frequently used in palliative care, such as morphine and paracetamol, can have side-effects that are relevant in a nutritional assessment—such as reduced appetite, nausea, and constipation. The holistic management of all symptoms is the key, because a person who is free of pain and nausea is more likely to feel like eating at his or her own pace. The role of the nurse in assessment of eating difficulties is vital. The assessment includes symptoms of illness that can contribute to the person's disinterest in eating—such as nausea, vomiting, pain, or constipation—experienced singly or in combination. Reassurance is needed that an inability to eat, or a lack of interest in food, is parts of the dying process.
