Hospital yet again

AJay

Registered User
Aug 21, 2007
123
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Leics
Hi again

My poor old Dad is in hospital yet again, the second time within 2 months and the third time in 6 months. This time he's got suspected DVT, he had swollen legs and feet with water retention, then one leg got redder and redder with suspected cellulitis which a course of anti-biotics and penicillin didn't touch and he was admitted to hospital on Friday night, 3 days after going into his new care home. Poor old soul doesn't know whether he's coming or going.

Dad of course is a little fed up though has taken it in his stride, I think he's getting used to being shipped from pillar to post. He did comment yesterday that he'd like to go home, we're not actually sure which home he was referring to! I sincerely hope its the new care home where he's being treated like a king and his every whim is being catered for.

So one very large Easter egg is being carefully transported to the hospital this afternoon, he'll probably trough it all before we leave, his appetite has returned big time and he's put lots of weight on over the last few weeks. 3 pairs of new trousers so far......

He seems to have settled very well into full time care, we had a slight trauma when we moved him from the assessment place to the new home, he was quite upset to leave the carers, but the new place is brilliant, a fab room, lots of attention, lovely food, and he's the best I've seen him for quite a long time. I suspect that's because the stress of coping with me and day to day life has gone and he's so relaxed and happy about everything, a far cry from the frail and desperate person he was becoming. I'm totally shocked at how easily he's adapted, we expected total ructions about it but they've not happened yet.

Oh well, lets get him through this spell in hospital, but at least I know he's going back to being very well looked after when he's discharged and I have no worries about him. I just can't wait to start getting him out and about when he's stronger and start having a bit of fun with him again.

AJay xxx
 

Margaret W

Registered User
Apr 28, 2007
3,720
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North Derbyshire
Dear Ajay

Sorry about the prospect of your dad having DVT, but gee aren't you lucky to have found such a great home for him? What a lucky man for you have done that for him. I think you deserve a chunk of his Easter Egg!

Love

Margaret
 

gigi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2007
7,788
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70
East Midlands
Hello Ajay,

Your poor dad's certainly done the rounds.
I'm so glad it's working out though,and you have no worries about his care..it makes life easier for you!

Love Gigi xx
 

AJay

Registered User
Aug 21, 2007
123
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Leics
Honeymoon is over!

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

I think the honeymoon is now over, we went to see Dad in hospital yesterday clutching his easter egg and everything was fine, he was sitting happily munching his way through the chocolates when one of the nurses came to say that it looked likely that he could be discharged in a few hours.

Talk about Jekyll & Hyde, the transformation was so fast I still can't believe it, he went from calm and peace to being very agitated, aggressive, horribly confused, wouldn't sit down, then suddenly said that he was worried about being home on his own. We explained over and over again that he would be going back to the care home and to his lovely ladies so he didn't have to worry about anything but he wasn't having any of it and for the first time in about 6 weeks remembered his old home, and worse, his dog. Once again all his aggression was aimed at me, he was fine with my partner.

The nurse said that we could take him back to the home ourselves as it was a 6 hour wait for an ambulance but my partner was very unsure about having him in the car when he was being so aggressive and was worried that he was going to refuse to leave the car when we got him to the care home. This was all starting to upset some of the other patients, and we had to leave in the end because I was getting stressed and the more stressed I was getting, the worse he was. I absolutely hated walking out and leaving him but the situation wasn't doing either of us any good.

The hospital rang me later to say that he was on his way to the care home by ambulance and that he'd settled down straight after we left, I rang the home a little later to see how he was, they said he was fine. They didn't seem to be too worried about him and said that the infection in his leg would be making his confusion worse. What I can't understand is how he seemed to have forgotten pretty much the last few years, even when prompted to remember things, didn't recognise any of the furniture and belongings that we've transferred to his new home, then it's all come back in a rush and he was really distressed.

I'm dreading going over to see him today, instinct was to rush over first thing this morning but I've decided to let him settle for a while and go over later this afternoon when he's had a couple of meals and has got a feel for the place again.

I see a little trouble ahead!

AJay xxx
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
AJay, I wouldn`t be surprised if all your father`s aggression and anxiety was because he didn`t know where he was going.

It might have been better if the nurse hadn`t given him a warning, if someone had said, `Come on, it`s time to go home now.` and just taken him back to the care home.

I wouldn`t be surprised if he`s fine when you visit. I hope so.

Please let us know.

Love xx
 

AJay

Registered User
Aug 21, 2007
123
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Leics
Oh Sylvia I do hope so. You have such a wonderful way of putting things in perspective for me every time. Thank you.

AJay xxx
 

AJay

Registered User
Aug 21, 2007
123
0
Leics
A little calmer

Hi again

Visited Dad late this afternoon and after the initial 'you've abandoned me' claims and barely talking to us for the fist half hour, he suddenly relaxed. He's not going to forgive us for some time that we weren't there when he got back to the care home last night and no amount of explaining will pacify him, but at least that crisis is over. He was still very agitated and kept taking his shoes on and off and asking me over and over again what clothes he should be wearing but I eventually persuaded him that he looked just great in his new trousers and top and didn't need to change a thing.

Poor old soul is now convinced that he's back in his little bungalow but that the builders have been in and made it much bigger - there must have been at least 80 of them to have worked on it so fast! I'm not going to discourage him from thinking that, at least he thinks he's at home.

I just hope that he can now settle into a routine and that things don't go wrong for him again, he desperately needs some stability in his life.

AJay xxx