Cataracts

[Zadok]

My mum has vascular dementia and at the moment lives alone with support from carers and me. She has cataracts and glaucoma. The consultant suggests operating on one of the cataracts under a local in June. Has anyone experience of explaining the operation and the need for careful after care. She agreed she wanted it done but of course forgot by the time we'd walked out.
Zadok

 

[Canadian Joanne]

I think it really depends on whether or not you think your mother is capable of the after-care. My mother has cataracts in both eyes but since her AD is fairly advanced, the family decided not to go ahead. It would have been impossible for her to stay still for the local surgery, general anesthesia can cause lots of problems for older people and forget the after-care. She would have picked at any bandage or eye-patch with her dirty, unwashed-after-going-to-the-toilet, hands. Yes she would understand immediately but as you say, it's forgotten in a minute.

The consultant did say it would improve her quality of life marginally. We were not prepared to risk lots of problems for marginal improvement. Is your mother reading? Doing close work or activities? It's up to you (not the doctor) to decide as you know your mother best. In particular, investigate the effects of anesthesia on elderly people.

Good luck.

 

[Stimpfig]

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Has anyone experience of explaining the operation and the need for careful after care. She agreed she wanted it done but of course forgot by the time we'd walked out.
Zadok

If your mum can still read and understand a message, then perhaps 'explaining' in bold on a sheet of paper might help. I still resort to this sort of thing with mum. Of course, she never thinks of the sheet of paper but everytime she asks a question about my whereabouts - say, when she goes to this 'get-together' every week, they just hand over this sheet of paper with my reassuring msg. in bold colourful writing.

I am not sure if you can leave after-care to your mum. Someone has got to do it full-time. I did it for my mum full time when she had the cataract operation under local anaesthesia.

Would it help for you to get a second medical opinion ?