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Old 01-03-2018, 01:39 PM   #16
Clodfobble
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glinda
Mom checked in to the hospital with a bowel blockage that led to the UTI. Two days later, she was gone. Slugged a couple of nurses. They had to literally tie her to the bed because she kept trying to escape.

Two days, people. Two days.
I had heard of this phenomenon, but thought it was largely if not entirely reversible with antibiotic treatment. Her dementia stayed even though they successfully treated the UTI?
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Old 01-03-2018, 05:13 PM   #17
sexobon
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It's not always that simple. I had a Director of Nursing tell me one of his nursing home's elderly patients had begun hallucinating and they were sending councilors in to work with her. I asked the patient's charge nurse if the patient had started any new medications; or, changed dosage of an existing med. She said the patient had recently started on an antibiotic for a UTI. I convinced the DON to check with the pharmacist and the patient's doctor for an alternate antibiotic to conduct a drug challenge. The pharmacist said that while the incidence of side affects for the antibiotic in middle aged patients was negligible, he was getting reports of hallucinations in about 7% of the geriatric patients he served. The patient's doctor discontinued the first antibiotic and started the patient on an alternate one. Within 48 hours the hallucinations were gone.
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Old 01-03-2018, 10:05 PM   #18
xoxoxoBruce
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Spoil sport, robbing an elderly of the most fun they had in years.
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Old 01-03-2018, 11:11 PM   #19
Glinda
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Originally Posted by captainhook455 View Post
They can't restrain you anymore. No hand gloves tied to the railing. No seatbelt to keep them from falling out of a wheelchair. Drugging them into a stupor is okay.

My daughter works at a nursing home. She says the government has stopped paying for painkillers and a few others. There won't be anything to keep them calm. They will be breaking out and running amok with the general populace. I don't see how they will recruit employees to work in the dementia ward.
It's already hard enough, I imagine. Without necessary calming/pain meds, the staff won't be the only ones suffering. It's a sad and distressing situation all the way around.

After my adventures in dealing with elderly dementia, my heart goes out to the caregivers and the patients. God bless them all.

Last edited by Glinda; 01-04-2018 at 12:25 AM.
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Old 01-04-2018, 12:11 AM   #20
Glinda
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Originally Posted by Clodfobble View Post
I had heard of this phenomenon, but thought it was largely if not entirely reversible with antibiotic treatment.
I suppose in many cases it is; in my mom's case, it just wasn't. I don't know why.

I should note that mom had been exhibiting some relatively innocuous dementia behaviors for about a year before all of this - possibly as a result of two small strokes she'd had in 2014.

For example, she'd convinced herself that my frail, 90-year old dad was having an affair and bringing his mistress to the house, and that this mistress was moving things/rearanging her kitchen cabinets and drawers just to mess with her (after all, she knew SHE didn't throw out all her coffee cups, and dad certainly wouldn't concern himself with where she kept her pastry cutter, so it had to be another woman). That belief wasn't enough to affect her day-to-day ability to function and care for herself and her home, so whenever she'd call with another story, I'd listen and counsel her as best I could, and things would be fine for another three or four months. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The UTI apparently just pushed her past the "return-from-dementia" zone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Clodfobble View Post
Her dementia stayed even though they successfully treated the UTI?
Mom was in the hospital for eight days. She checked in on a Tuesday evening with a bowel blockage. By Wednesday evening, the docs had cleared the blockage, but she had become disoriented and combative with hospital staff. I arrived Thursday morning about when the UTI was discovered, and a course of antibiotics was ordered, but apparently by that time the dementia had locked itself in. (?)

She was released once the infection had been knocked down. By that time, she was less combative, but increasingly distressed and exit-seeking, and had developed a pretty strong case of Sundowner Syndrome.

She spent a month in a very good (and very expensive) Alzheimer's/dementia facility, and with their care and attention, she became much more "there," far less distressed and agitated. The dementia was still there - her particular obsession was that everyone around her was involved in a secret sex ring, which she called the Red Ribbon Club, and that people were always stealing her money (which she didn't have any of, so . . . ), but the need for constant watching and tending dropped significantly.

Once I found a place with a room large enough for both my folks (surprisingly hard to find, as most of these places have very small bedrooms suitable for only one), I moved them in. Evidently the Red Ribbon Club followed her there. She confided in me that everyone there was having sex on the roof for a dollar, and that my dad was a regular participant.

Mom always knew who I was, but she sometimes thought my dad was her father, other times she thought he was some random roommate. I'd say she was coherent and all there about 50% of the time, although that declined steadily over the following 10 months (at which point I had to move her to a nursing home, due to a fall that resulted in a fractured back).

I have a feeling that mild Alzheimer's/dementia is far more pervasive than we think. I hope and pray that medical research and drug trials lead to better treatments and outcomes. It's a shitty way to go.
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Old 01-04-2018, 12:24 AM   #21
Glinda
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
Spoil sport, robbing an elderly of the most fun they had in years.
Right? Mom's ongoing, super secret, personal "undercover investigation" resulted in "true proof" that dad was all up in that Red Ribbon Club!





Yes, I laugh. It IS funny!

And I will be going to Hell. I accept that.
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Old 01-04-2018, 12:33 AM   #22
xoxoxoBruce
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Undercover? She snuck up the disguised as a slut?
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Old 01-04-2018, 01:10 AM   #23
Glinda
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Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
Undercover? She snuck up the disguised as a slut?
You know, I wasn't there day to day; I don't know exactly how the investigation was conducted. All I'm going to say is, this a pic of my mother at the 99-cent store (mom's dear friend and [former] neighbor took her for a shopping outing), checking out the 99-cent lingerie.




Who knew there was 99-cent lingerie? My mom was ALL ABOUT finding the ultimate bargain deal. Oh yeah.
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Old 01-04-2018, 06:04 AM   #24
limey
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glinda View Post
You know, I wasn't there day to day; I don't know exactly how the investigation was conducted. All I'm going to say is, this a pic of my mother at the 99-cent store (mom's dear friend and [former] neighbor took her for a shopping outing), checking out the 99-cent lingerie.




Who knew there was 99-cent lingerie? My mom was ALL ABOUT finding the ultimate bargain deal. Oh yeah.
This is so cute!

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Old 01-04-2018, 06:06 AM   #25
Griff
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Originally Posted by BigV View Post
UTIs are notorious for causing erratic behavior.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Glinda View Post
Who knew there was 99-cent lingerie? My mom was ALL ABOUT finding the ultimate bargain deal. Oh yeah.
So much learning today!
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Old 01-05-2018, 01:29 AM   #26
Big Sarge
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My father is in hospice care at home. Before hospice care, a UTI would lead to confusion and then be followed by a combative state. We quickly learned that if he was staying confused, he had the onset of a UTI. Since hospice, he has been on IV antibiotics constantly. Unfortunately the gangrene is moving past the foot into the leg. Antibiotics aren't doing much to slow it and he is slipping as the infection increases. He has 24 hour care at home, but I think we will have to move him into the hospice unit at the hospital within a couple of weeks.

Sepsis killed my mother. Sepsis/gangrene will take my dad.
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Last edited by Big Sarge; 01-05-2018 at 01:29 AM. Reason: skipped a word
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Old 01-05-2018, 04:16 AM   #27
limey
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So sorry to read this Sarge. X

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Old 01-05-2018, 05:58 AM   #28
Griff
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Sorry man.
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Old 01-05-2018, 07:06 AM   #29
glatt
 
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wow Sarge, that's horrible.
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Old 01-05-2018, 09:51 AM   #30
captainhook455
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On the other hand the person who has dementia dosen't know they have it. My father shaved and showered every morning. One day he stopped. He kept his nails trimmed, didn't do that anymore. I told him I had to put double keyed deadbolts on the doors to keep him from wandering outside. He said well don't let me go.

I thought he had forgotten who I was, but when they came to get me when I had a stroke, he cried. I came home and saw him I collapsed at his feet and cried.

My wife has sundowners, can't remember eating 2hrs ago or most anything from 2hrs ago. She can be aggravating and tries to draw me into what ever crazy shit she is talking about.

Her family doesn't want her to go to a nursing facility, but no one is willing to take her to their house.
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