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Hi Jonquil,   I'm sorry things are not going well for your Mom.... and also for the sadness and stress it creates for you and your family. I need to qualify that I am not a health professional. I have had experience with Alzheimer's through my Mom and some of the people I have met along the way of trying to help her the last 8 years.   It's a heart wrenching call to have to make. My Mom had a living will, which obviously made it much easier. My Mom and Dad had always told me what they wanted as well. When she first started having swallowing problems, my Mom was put on a thick liquid diet (everything had to be around the consistency of honey). The product "thickit" was used to thicken liquids and everything else was blended up. She could not chew but plain water went down too fast and choked her. She saw a speech therapist several times when she started having problems. I never realized how complicated swallowing can be until my Dad had trouble after a stroke.    It's awful that Alzheimer's is 100% fatal, but that's the reality. So for me it became about keeping my Mom comfortable both physically and emotionally. For me a feeding tube would have been too much stress emotionally as well as being extremely uncomfortable physically. The benefits of a feeding tube? More time probably, but what will the quality of that time be?   It's a sad saying in this context, but "Just because you can do something does not mean that you should" had to become one of my mottos with taking care of my Mom. My Mom was not going to be getting better and that had to be taken into consideration when making decisions about her care. Often what my heart wanted to do was in direct conflict with what was actually the best thing to do given the situation.   What does your Mom's doctor have to say about this? Also - If you don't have documentation, perhaps you can recall a time when the subject came up (visiting a sick relative with your Mom, etc.) and maybe that will help you decide.   Most of all, don't forget to take care of you during this trying time.   regards,   Bob