My grandfather has late-stage Alzheimer’s and was recently admitted to hospital. We (my mother, sister and myself) have been visiting him regularly – mostly twice daily.
After about a week, the nurses told us he had been ‘refusing’ his medication. We were quite taken aback as we had been checking his drug chart and it had looked like everything was OK. We asked some questions and found out that he had not had any medication for several days.
We were quite upset and angry that this had not been communicated to us, and we offered to try to administer it. We didn’t have any trouble getting him to take it and now we do it most days.
Since then there have been other occasions where I’ve been told that he has ‘refused’ help – I went to see him yesterday and he was slumped sideways in his chair with one hand trailing on the floor, and the arm of the chair digging into his side. I moved him and propped him up with a pillow, but the nurse told me she had just tried and he had ‘refused’ to be touched.
I’m just really worried by the idea that he is ‘refusing’ things – and that the nurses feel that it’s OK to just leave him, even if he is clearly uncomfortable, or it means that he is not getting any treatment!
I don’t mean that I want things to be forced on him – I don’t – but I do think it’s the carers responsibility to take a view on some things that have consequences that he is not really able to grasp.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? How have other people dealt with this?
Sorry for the epic post, but I’d really appreciate any views…
Thanks,
Alix
After about a week, the nurses told us he had been ‘refusing’ his medication. We were quite taken aback as we had been checking his drug chart and it had looked like everything was OK. We asked some questions and found out that he had not had any medication for several days.
We were quite upset and angry that this had not been communicated to us, and we offered to try to administer it. We didn’t have any trouble getting him to take it and now we do it most days.
Since then there have been other occasions where I’ve been told that he has ‘refused’ help – I went to see him yesterday and he was slumped sideways in his chair with one hand trailing on the floor, and the arm of the chair digging into his side. I moved him and propped him up with a pillow, but the nurse told me she had just tried and he had ‘refused’ to be touched.
I’m just really worried by the idea that he is ‘refusing’ things – and that the nurses feel that it’s OK to just leave him, even if he is clearly uncomfortable, or it means that he is not getting any treatment!
I don’t mean that I want things to be forced on him – I don’t – but I do think it’s the carers responsibility to take a view on some things that have consequences that he is not really able to grasp.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? How have other people dealt with this?
Sorry for the epic post, but I’d really appreciate any views…
Thanks,
Alix