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Home Care for PEG Tube Feeding: Cleaning, Feeding and Troubleshooting
Daily stoma care, feeding schedules and what to do about blockages or leaks for a loved one fed through a PEG tube at home.
A PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tube is placed through the abdominal wall into the stomach for people who cannot eat safely by mouth, for example after a stroke, in advanced dementia or neurological disease. The tube looks simple, but families need to know a lot about skin care, feeding technique and giving medicines.
The first days
During the first 7–10 days the stoma is healing. Clean it daily with sterile saline, keep it dry and do not rotate or push the tube unless advised. Increasing redness, discharge or pain should be reported. After healing, the tube is usually rotated gently each day with your doctor's approval.
Daily stoma care
- Wash your hands.
- Clean under the external plate with warm water and mild soap, then dry well.
- Check for a 2–3 mm gap between plate and skin.
- Never leave damp gauze under the plate.
| Method | How | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Bolus | Syringe, 4–6 meals a day | Patients with good tolerance |
| Intermittent (gravity) | Bag over 30–60 minutes | Patients who cannot tolerate bolus |
| Continuous (pump) | Slow flow over hours | High reflux or aspiration risk |
Keep the head raised at least 30–45 degrees during and after feeding.
Giving medicines
- Crush and dissolve each medicine separately; never mix into the feed.
- Flush with 15–30 ml warm water before and after each medicine.
- Ask a pharmacist before crushing slow-release or coated tablets.
Common problems
- Blockage: flush gently with warm water; do not force it, call the nurse.
- Leakage: the plate may be loose; protect the skin and ask for assessment.
- Tube falls out: the tract can start closing within hours, so contact your nurse or doctor immediately.
We provide PEG care, balloon tube changes and feeding education across Yalova, with planned visits in Bursa, Istanbul and Kocaeli–Gebze.
