Is a Feeding Tube Considered Life Support?

In most legal and medical planning documents, yes — a feeding tube counts as a life-sustaining treatment, usually called "artificial nutrition and hydration." Some state advance-directive laws name it in their definition of life-sustaining treatment. Maryland's, for example, lists it alongside CPR. The exact definition and the rules for refusing it differ from state to state, so the safest course is to state your wishes about tube feeding specifically.

Why the answer is "yes, but it depends on the document"

In everyday speech, "life support" usually brings to mind a breathing machine. In advance care planning, the term is broader. The National Institute on Aging's guide to living wills lists the decisions people commonly address — CPR, ventilators, pacemakers and implantable defibrillators, and artificial nutrition and hydration. It describes artificial nutrition as fluids and nutrients delivered through an IV or a feeding tube: a short-term tube through the nose into the stomach, or a longer-term tube placed through the skin of the abdomen into the stomach.

So when a form asks whether you want "life-sustaining treatment," tube feeding is often part of the question — but you should not assume it is, because states write these definitions differently.

How some state laws define it

State statutes, not federal law, govern advance directives, and each state uses its own terms. A few examples show the range:

The New York rule shows why wording matters: if no one knows what the person wanted about tube feeding, the agent there does not have authority to make that decision. Other states use different language and conditions, so read your own state's advance-directive form and instructions, or ask an elder-law attorney.

Feeding tubes on POLST forms

A POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, called MOLST or POST in some states) turns wishes into medical orders for someone who is seriously ill. Many state POLST forms include a separate section on artificial nutrition. California's form, for example, offers choices of long-term artificial nutrition including feeding tubes, a trial period of artificial nutrition, or no artificial means of nutrition. Because forms differ by state, ask the clinician who completes it to walk through that section. See POLST forms and hospice care.

A DNR order does not answer the feeding-tube question

A do-not-resuscitate order is about whether to restore heartbeat or breathing if they stop. It says nothing about tube feeding. A person can have a DNR and still receive tube feeding, or decline tube feeding without having a DNR. For more, see DNR orders explained for hospice families.

What this means if your loved one is on hospice

Hospice does not require removing a feeding tube, and you do not have to stop tube feeding to enroll. Because tube feeding is a treatment, it can be continued, adjusted, or stopped like other treatments, based on the patient's wishes, any advance directive, and how the body is tolerating it. The hospice team explains the trade-offs; the patient or their legal decision-maker decides. The practical side of that decision is covered in can you be on hospice with a feeding tube.

Families often find one finding from the National Institute on Aging helpful: artificial nutrition and hydration can help someone recovering from an illness, but studies have shown that artificial nutrition toward the end of life does not meaningfully prolong life. NIA also notes that careful hand feeding is an alternative that may carry fewer risks, especially for people with dementia.

The misconception to correct

Some families feel that because food is basic care, a feeding tube cannot be "treatment," and declining it would be abandoning their loved one. Under the planning documents and state laws above, tube feeding is generally treated as a medical intervention that a person may accept or refuse — which is exactly why advance directives and POLST forms ask about it. Honoring a clear wish to decline it is respecting the person, not giving up on them. This page explains how the documents treat tube feeding; it is not legal or medical advice for your situation.

Frequently asked questions

If an advance directive says "no life support," does that include a feeding tube?

It depends on the state's definitions and how the document is worded. In some states, such as Maryland, the statutory definition of a life-sustaining procedure expressly includes artificially administered nutrition and hydration. To avoid any doubt, say what you want about tube feeding in plain words.

Can a health care proxy decide to stop tube feeding?

Often, but the rules vary. In New York, for example, the agent can decide about artificial nutrition and hydration only if the person's wishes are reasonably known. Telling your proxy your wishes now, and writing them down, protects them later. See advance directives and hospice.

Is an IV for fluids also considered artificial nutrition and hydration?

NIA's description of artificial nutrition and hydration includes fluids and nutrients given through an IV as well as through a feeding tube. State definitions use their own wording.

Does hospice make you stop tube feeding?

No. Hospice does not require removing a feeding tube or stopping feeds as a condition of care. Any change is discussed with the patient and family and recorded in the plan of care.

What to do next

Find your state's advance-directive form and check how it handles artificial nutrition and hydration, then write down your wishes about tube feeding specifically and share them with your health care proxy and doctor. If your loved one is seriously ill, ask whether a POLST is appropriate. When you are ready to compare hospices near you, search our directory by city.