stroke and dry mouth

[Angela67]

My grandmother had a massive stroke in Jan 07. She is home, still paralyzed on the left side and being fed through a feeding tube. Every once in a while she will swallow a drop of water or saliva but not often. We use some of those green foam sponges with the plastic stick handle to wet her mouth and apply mouth moisturizer.  Over the past few months, when we try to give her a little water on the sponge, she doesn't want it or maybe it's the fact she doesn't want the sponge in her mouth. She either bites down on it or puckers up her lips as if to let us know she doesn't want it.
Does anyone know a good way to give her a bit of water just to hydrate her mouth and tongue. Something that would be pleasing to her ?

[Liltazz]

My father has the same situation.  I know those green sponges and they just aren't that appetizing.  The facility that my father is in also has a lemon mint flavored Q-Tip that dad seems to like much better.  I notice my dad sometimes doesn't open his mouth when I offer the green ones.  When my dad was in the hospital, I got permission to put the green ones in regular liquid (I used Gatorade) so that dad could taste something with flavor.  I made sure that it is just a real small amount and it seemed not to be as bad as when it is soaked in the liquid they come in.

[realemoran]

1. Some of the nurses used the lime or orange flavored sponge to moisten my mouth and it helped a lot.  But just ice cold water put on a sponge and held to my lips so I could suck what I needed was something I craved.  The temperature was almost as important to me as the liquid.  For me, absence of moisture, taste, and temperature variation had become sort of a single-sense sensory deprivation.  I found your message because I'm looking for a source for those sponges.  My cardiologist wants me to restrict my liquid intake.  I thought I would use Wyler's or Kool-aid made strong and portion it out to myself in little cups and paint my tongue and lips with a sponge-on-a-stick.
2. When my wife had a TIA, I read that a stroke could alter one's sense of taste.  If so, perhaps the taste is now noxious.  Since it is one's senses that has changed, favorite flavors may not be the same.  It's worth trying others; Wyler's isn't expensive.  Also scents may help.  Vanilla, coconut, or Rum extract.  I craved Chocolate and at one point, beer.  Good luck helping your grandma.