Some help please..
About a month ago, my father who is now in a residential home was reassessed (again) by the memory clinic and we were told again that the Aricept was not making a blind bit of difference to his behavior and condition. So we agreed to gradually take dad off Aricept, but keep us informed about his condition and any changes. We were not kept informed but noticed the changes ourselves over the last two weeks.
I am very puzzled by two statements that have been made. Firstly by the care home and secondly by the memory clinic that assessed dad and recommended withdrawal of Aricept.
Firstly, we have been told that it is normal practice to withdraw Aricept one and individual is in a care home. The reason being that the person now has 24 hour care and there is less need for Aricept.
After only one week we have noticed a dramatic change in dad. He does not recognise any of us now. Before he recognised immediate family. It as if we are not there. I appreciate that this is to be expected in the later stages of Alzheimer’s, but it is very sudden and he seems so much more confused.
Secondly, the next statement. We have been told that once someone has been taken off Aricept, there is absolutely no point in putting them back on it. Even if the decline has been dramatic after coming off Aricept, it is unlikely that we can have our dad returning to the condition he was in a few weeks ago. In other words, the damage has been done.
This second issue/statement is causing a lot of upset to my mother and I. It is hard to believe that the people who recommended that dad stop Aricept in the first place (a very bad judgment based on cost in my opinion) would be well enough informed to make this statement.
Has anyone heard this before, that is, "once someone has been taken off Aricept, there is absolutely no point in putting them back on it". The solution to me is simple; we put dad back on Aricept for another month and see what happens. But I'm hitting a brick wall. I need some supporting evidence from somewhere or I've got a real battle on my hands.
thanks
Charlie....
About a month ago, my father who is now in a residential home was reassessed (again) by the memory clinic and we were told again that the Aricept was not making a blind bit of difference to his behavior and condition. So we agreed to gradually take dad off Aricept, but keep us informed about his condition and any changes. We were not kept informed but noticed the changes ourselves over the last two weeks.
I am very puzzled by two statements that have been made. Firstly by the care home and secondly by the memory clinic that assessed dad and recommended withdrawal of Aricept.
Firstly, we have been told that it is normal practice to withdraw Aricept one and individual is in a care home. The reason being that the person now has 24 hour care and there is less need for Aricept.
After only one week we have noticed a dramatic change in dad. He does not recognise any of us now. Before he recognised immediate family. It as if we are not there. I appreciate that this is to be expected in the later stages of Alzheimer’s, but it is very sudden and he seems so much more confused.
Secondly, the next statement. We have been told that once someone has been taken off Aricept, there is absolutely no point in putting them back on it. Even if the decline has been dramatic after coming off Aricept, it is unlikely that we can have our dad returning to the condition he was in a few weeks ago. In other words, the damage has been done.
This second issue/statement is causing a lot of upset to my mother and I. It is hard to believe that the people who recommended that dad stop Aricept in the first place (a very bad judgment based on cost in my opinion) would be well enough informed to make this statement.
Has anyone heard this before, that is, "once someone has been taken off Aricept, there is absolutely no point in putting them back on it". The solution to me is simple; we put dad back on Aricept for another month and see what happens. But I'm hitting a brick wall. I need some supporting evidence from somewhere or I've got a real battle on my hands.
thanks
Charlie....