Hi there,
My aunt is in what I believe to be the end stages of Alzheimer's. She was diagnosed approx 3 years ago and moved to a care home 2 years ago.
Recently, she has suffered from recurrent UTI's that oral antibiotics didn't touch. In the last three weeks, she has become extremely weak and is no longer at all mobile, being either chair or bed bound. She also now has double incontinence and is extremely tired,all of the time. Last week, she had little appetite or thirst and she was admitted to the hospital.
She was treated with IV antibiotics and fluids as she was very dehydrated. The UTI has now cleared, but she refuses to eat and drink and has become extremely disconnected from her environment, and her loved one and is experiencing night hallucinations.
She has not eaten more than a few bites in 6 days - and nothing at all to eat or drink in 4 days - and she does not understand when we try to offer her food or drink, this has got 10x worse since her admittance to hospital.
I am worried that she may be kept in as she is not seen as strong enough to go back to her care home, but feel that she will now neger be strong enough. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar situation and what they have done?
We are going to look into palliative care, but unsure if this could be the form of outpatient at her home or at a hospice. If the Dr's don't agree to discharge her, has anyone done so against their wishes? I don't want to see her end her days in a busy hospital ward with machines beeping when she could be in familiar surroundings with people who love her. Ultimately, this is not my decision to make, but I hope to be able to provide experiences of others to my aunt's next of kin in order to give them the support and answers they need.
Thank you all so much in advance and this horrendously sad time in our families lives,
t23
My aunt is in what I believe to be the end stages of Alzheimer's. She was diagnosed approx 3 years ago and moved to a care home 2 years ago.
Recently, she has suffered from recurrent UTI's that oral antibiotics didn't touch. In the last three weeks, she has become extremely weak and is no longer at all mobile, being either chair or bed bound. She also now has double incontinence and is extremely tired,all of the time. Last week, she had little appetite or thirst and she was admitted to the hospital.
She was treated with IV antibiotics and fluids as she was very dehydrated. The UTI has now cleared, but she refuses to eat and drink and has become extremely disconnected from her environment, and her loved one and is experiencing night hallucinations.
She has not eaten more than a few bites in 6 days - and nothing at all to eat or drink in 4 days - and she does not understand when we try to offer her food or drink, this has got 10x worse since her admittance to hospital.
I am worried that she may be kept in as she is not seen as strong enough to go back to her care home, but feel that she will now neger be strong enough. I was wondering if anyone has had a similar situation and what they have done?
We are going to look into palliative care, but unsure if this could be the form of outpatient at her home or at a hospice. If the Dr's don't agree to discharge her, has anyone done so against their wishes? I don't want to see her end her days in a busy hospital ward with machines beeping when she could be in familiar surroundings with people who love her. Ultimately, this is not my decision to make, but I hope to be able to provide experiences of others to my aunt's next of kin in order to give them the support and answers they need.
Thank you all so much in advance and this horrendously sad time in our families lives,
t23