Minimal Comfort Feeding in Advanced Dementia: Attitudes of Hospice and Palliative Care Professionals

Clara Becker; Hope Wechkin; Mercedes Bern-Klug; Thaddeus Pope; Meredith Levine; Megan J. Shen; Elizabeth Loggers

doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2026.06.007

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Minimal Comfort Feeding in Advanced Dementia: Attitudes of Hospice and Palliative Care Professionals

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Minimal Comfort Feeding in Advanced Dementia: Attitudes of Hospice and Palliative Care Professionals

Clara Becker, Hope Wechkin, Mercedes Bern-Klug, Thaddeus Pope, Meredith Levine, Megan J. Shen and Elizabeth Loggers

Journal of pain and symptom management

06/22/2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2026.06.007

PMID: 42331265

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Abstract

Minimal Comfort Feeding (MCF) is a new approach to providing nutrition and hydration to persons with advanced dementia who have previously indicated (or whose surrogate believes) they would not want to live with advanced dementia. The acceptability of MCF has not been studied. To assess perceptions of hospice and palliative care (HPC) professionals toward MCF. This cross-sectional exploratory survey study of a convenience sample was conducted at a national conference of HPC professionals in February 2025. During a presentation on MCF’s definition and ethical basis, attendees engaged in audience response polling and an optional electronic survey. Descriptive results are presented. Fifty-one people attended the presentation. Forty-five attendees (88%) participated in audience polling and 22 (43%) participated in both polling and the survey. The mean age of survey respondents was 50 (standard deviation 9.58), 19 (86%) identified as White, and 18 (82%) identified as women. Thirty-five of 42 respondents (83%) agreed or strongly agreed that MCF is an acceptable option for PWAD and 93% (39/42) agreed or strongly agreed they would be comfortable discussing MCF with persons with early dementia or who are at risk for dementia as a potential future option. Sixty-nine percent (29/42) anticipated MCF would be somewhat or completely acceptable to families of PWAD, but respondents were divided regarding the ease of implementing MCF in clinical practice. While MCF was highly acceptable in this study, the sample size was small and risk of bias high. Further research is needed.

advance care planning

comfort feeding only (CFO)

goal-concordant care

minimal comfort feeding (MCF)

persons with advanced dementia (PWAD)

voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED)

Details

Title: Subtitle: Minimal Comfort Feeding in Advanced Dementia: Attitudes of Hospice and Palliative Care Professionals
Creators: Clara Becker - Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Hope Wechkin - EvergreenHealth
Mercedes Bern-Klug - University of Iowa
Thaddeus Pope - Hamline University
Meredith Levine - Weinberg Medical Physics (United States)
Megan J. Shen - Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Elizabeth Loggers - Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of pain and symptom management
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2026.06.007
PMID: 42331265
NLM abbreviation: J Pain Symptom Manage
ISSN: 0885-3924
eISSN: 1873-6513
Publisher: Elsevier Inc
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 06/22/2026
Academic Unit: International Programs; School of Social Work
Record Identifier: 9985176646202771

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