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  Hi, I just lost my father to Alzheimer's.  Swallowing problems at the end.  I enjoyed feeding him and I know I went too fast at times.  Takes a subtle touch and I realized I needed to let him be in charge of when the next spoonful comes.  Not the caregiver (me) who's usually in charge of things...I'd been so used to making all the decisions, it was a shock when he started talking to me "don't put it in"  (e.g. the food).  So he was really capable of saying when and when not to feed, even in his state.   Can you use a feeding tube at home?  I not even sure if feeding tube will stop food from going into the lungs - that's was the whole problem with my father  - the  reason we had to be so careful when feeding him.  In hindsight, I would have tried a feeding tube.  I would have done another hospital visit before going on hospice at home.  The IV fluids at the hospital really perked him up in Summer 08, 07.  He couldn't get that much liquids any other way, because of the swallowing problem.   Larry