Practical answer
A new feeding tube feels daunting, but feeds, medicines and tube care soon become manageable at home. Before discharge, obtain the tube type, route, size, insertion and review dates, documented permission and method for checking use, external marking where relevant, feed formula, volume, rate, water plan, medicine route, flushing instructions and responsible nutrition, medical and tube services.
This guide may be useful for
- Patients newly discharged with a gastrostomy or other feeding tube
- Families learning tube feeding and medicine routines
- People whose feeding equipment or support will change on discharge
Information about the tube or device
Have the current treating-team instructions, exact equipment or medicine details, recent changes and the contact for clinical questions ready before asking about going home with a new feeding tube.
What a nursing visit may cover
A visiting nurse may review the current plan, assess the immediate nursing need, document observations and provide only the agreed support within their professional role. The page does not provide a step-by-step technique for untrained readers.
Changes that need medical review
Use the page-specific warning signs and the treating team’s instructions. Immediate danger, severe breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding or rapid deterioration requires emergency help through 999.
Related sources:[3]
Primary sources
These sources support the general principles on this page. The individual treating team’s instructions take priority.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: Nutrition support for adults, including enteral tube feedingUnited Kingdom; general clinical principles · clinical guideline
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: Transition between inpatient hospital settings and community or care home settingsUnited Kingdom; general transition principles · clinical guideline
- World Health Organization: Integrated people-centred health servicesInternational · health-service guidance
- World Health Organization: Patient safetyInternational or source jurisdiction; general principles only · authoritative public guidance
Sources checked: 2026-08-02
What to consider before arranging a visit
Support that may be relevant
- Exact tube and use permission
- Current feed-water-medicine plan
- Technique demonstrated on real equipment
- Full supply and power backup
- Dislodgement escalation
What to prepare and confirm
- Whether the tube is confirmed and permitted for use
- Who owns feed, water and medicine instructions
- Who can safely perform each task
- What backup covers supply or pump interruption
- Which sign requires feeds to stop
Ask about going home with a new feeding tube
Send a WhatsApp message and our team will help you arrange a home nurse visit. It notes this page and leaves room for your area. The nurse or provider confirms suitability, timing and fees before any visit.
To protect privacy, please don’t send an identity-card number, full medical record or an identifiable wound photo in your first message.
Ask about going home with a new feeding tubeSafety boundaries and when to seek other care
- Do not use a tube when position or permission is uncertain
- Do not crush or combine medicines unless each one has been reviewed for the tube route
- Do not restart feeding after possible displacement without the required clinical confirmation
Call 999 for immediate danger or a medical emergency. This website and its WhatsApp enquiries do not provide emergency triage.
Questions families ask
Can all tablets be crushed for a feeding tube?
No. Each medicine needs formulation and route review; some must not be crushed or mixed with feed. Obtain medicine-specific instructions before discharge.
Can feeding restart after the tube looks displaced?
Not until the required tube-specific clinical assessment or confirmation says it is safe. Stop the feed and use the documented contact route.