My dad has been living with Alzheimer's for 6yrs now. He lost the ability to walk. Year ago after spending 1 month in hospital with a uti and the staff didn't bothered getting him out of bed. He has been in a nursing home for just over a year and up until about a month ago there were still traces of my dad,still had his sense of humour and apart from his confusion sometimes he seemed to be doing ok. He still knows who we are most times we visit but has resorted back to us being children.
Now he is showing signs of aggression and also inappropriate behaviour. He stays in bed and won't go and sit in the lounge. He won't let staff care for him most days.
The past week his has been refusing to eat or drink and only occasionally sipping water or a nibble of a biscuit. He is now spitting his medication out and he is also meant to be taking antibiotics for a chest infection but they can not get it into him.
I received a call yesterday asking me if I would want dad to be admitted into hospital to receive intervenious fluids and meds. They do not tube feed anymore so he would still be not getting any food in to him. I believe dad is doing this because he has had enough and doesn't want to carry on suffering with this cruel desease.
He has made it very clear that under no circumstance does he want to be admitted into hospital and as a family we are respecting that. I am his power of attorney so I do have to make this decision but I have full support from my brothers and sister.
He just sleeps now and hardly opens his eyes, he has shut down I guess.
It has been agrees that my dad will be cared for for as long as needed in his home and will receive palliative care.
So now I am just trying to face the realisation that I will have to watch my dad die unless he suddenly perks which I don't think will happen.
Now he is showing signs of aggression and also inappropriate behaviour. He stays in bed and won't go and sit in the lounge. He won't let staff care for him most days.
The past week his has been refusing to eat or drink and only occasionally sipping water or a nibble of a biscuit. He is now spitting his medication out and he is also meant to be taking antibiotics for a chest infection but they can not get it into him.
I received a call yesterday asking me if I would want dad to be admitted into hospital to receive intervenious fluids and meds. They do not tube feed anymore so he would still be not getting any food in to him. I believe dad is doing this because he has had enough and doesn't want to carry on suffering with this cruel desease.
He has made it very clear that under no circumstance does he want to be admitted into hospital and as a family we are respecting that. I am his power of attorney so I do have to make this decision but I have full support from my brothers and sister.
He just sleeps now and hardly opens his eyes, he has shut down I guess.
It has been agrees that my dad will be cared for for as long as needed in his home and will receive palliative care.
So now I am just trying to face the realisation that I will have to watch my dad die unless he suddenly perks which I don't think will happen.