Is a juicer a useful device for those with bulbar symptoms?

[sesl]

I'm thinking about getting my mother (who is bulbar-onset) a juicer for Christmas. These are very expensive here, and we can't get that Vita-Mix device that some others on the board have written about. It isn't available in Australia.

I'm thinking that with a juicer she would be able to get some nutrients from fruit and vegetables via a straw - make nutritious "cocktails" to sip.

She'll probably end up with a peg quite soon - within the next month or two, as she is starting to struggle with many foods, and she finds thin liquids difficult. But I know that she wants to try and keep eating healthy "real food" as much as possible.

So what do you all think - is a juicer going to be useful?

Thanks.

[BethU]

sesl ... I'd think ahead to the tube. You don't have to get the VitaMix brand; any good blender will work, and your mom can use fresh fruit or other healthy foods for her nutrition, in addition to supplements. As her swallowing worsens, she will probably find that purees of fruit of a consistency of applesauce or pudding or yogurt will be easier to swallow than thin liquids. With the peg, they will have to be REALLY pureed and thinned to flow easily, but most blenders can handle that, I think.

Does your mom use a straw now? Some people find it helps, but it made it harder for me, as it shoots the liquid too far back in my mouth, and I choked every time I tried one.

I think a good blender would be a very thoughtful gift and very useful.

[joelc]

If you plan on blending up food to put in her PEG then there is only one safe blender to use and it is a Vita-Mix. If you are only going to use it for mouth feeding then Beth is right, any blender will do.