Dad in hospital with urinary infection

[Allatsea]

We've had a Christmas of trying to keep my dad hydrated, fed, clean and sa0fe to still live at home. He has AZD, will be 91 this month, and with the help of carers we've made it this far. Unfortunately he became more unwell, confused and unsteady and was found on the floor when the evening carer came on Tuesday. We called for an ambulance which came promptly and proceeded to our local A&E. You just know what it will be like...

After a night of A&E (corridor, cubicle, 2nd cubicle, proper bed in cubicle) a severe urine infection was identified. Antibiotics and fluids were administered and finally space was found in a ward yesterday. Unfortunately dad fell in the ward (!!?) after I had gone home, but the hospital did phone to tell me last night. He is now in a 'proper' ward for elderly people and I'm sure is getting every care from the staff there. I'm not sure how long he will be in for, until the antibiotics and fluids have worked which I suppose will be a few days yet.

My fear is that they may pronounce him fit and send him home. Can anyone advise me on what I need to do or who I need to speak to. I think this is probably the time that dad needs to be assessed and then go into a home. I have been to look at a few but it just left me feeling depressed...

Any help/advice appreciated

 

[Izzy]

Hello and welcome to TP.

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad.

The hospital staff should discuss his discharge with you and he should not be discharged unless there is an appropriate care package in place. At least that's what happened when my mum was ready to leave hospital.

I wonder if this factsheet would be of help to you -

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=173

 

[Allatsea]

Thanks thats perfect!!

Thanks that was just what I needed. There are so many different pieces of info out there it is difficult to find the bit that is relevant. I will make sure he has an assessment and hopefully the staff at the hospital will contact the appropriate people before anything is decided.

As everyone is mad busy you just know there is plenty of opportunity to be forgotten or overlooked. I'm the person in the middle keeping everything together which is fine if I know what to do!!

 

[Izzy]

I'm glad that's been of help. Good luck. x

 

[terrisa]

We've had a Christmas of trying to keep my dad hydrated, fed, clean and sa0fe to still live at home. He has AZD, will be 91 this month, and with the help of carers we've made it this far. Unfortunately he became more unwell, confused and unsteady and was found on the floor when the evening carer came on Tuesday. We called for an ambulance which came promptly and proceeded to our local A&E. You just know what it will be like...

After a night of A&E (corridor, cubicle, 2nd cubicle, proper bed in cubicle) a severe urine infection was identified. Antibiotics and fluids were administered and finally space was found in a ward yesterday. Unfortunately dad fell in the ward (!!?) after I had gone home, but the hospital did phone to tell me last night. He is now in a 'proper' ward for elderly people and I'm sure is getting every care from the staff there. I'm not sure how long he will be in for, until the antibiotics and fluids have worked which I suppose will be a few days yet.

My fear is that they may pronounce him fit and send him home. Can anyone advise me on what I need to do or who I need to speak to. I think this is probably the time that dad needs to be assessed and then go into a home. I have been to look at a few but it just left me feeling depressed...

Any help/advice appreciated

Hi, my dad 84yrs old experienced uti during 21/2 yes in care homes, lots of hospital stays with antibiotics and no proper care package put in place. He was addmited again on 26/12/15 and discharged last Thursday, seemed better for 2days eating drinking chatting ect, Sunday he was hallucinating but thought it was just "another bad day" Monday morn I had care home call me, dad had been sick and readmitted to hospital . sadly he passed away the same day,
We have now been told he died of renal failure. On a little research apparently this should have been detected in the beginning but not , the furthest we got from hospital during 2 1/2 years was UTI antibiotics prescribed and sent back to care home, he was not given a simple test to see if he was in renal failure when he had water infections it seems they took blood and tested for this 1hr before he died. Renal failure makes symptoms of dementia a lot worst and can be avoided before reaching the stage dad did. when they got emergency results back from lab they announced he would be gone in 2hrs he died 5 minutes later . but before all this we fought for 3/4 hrs to get him out of corridor of trolley ,they never gave him anything to help him as they diagnosed dehydration and didn't bother treatment in a hurry. Please insist on testing early stages of renal failure before you let them send him out and after that sort care package out, then home, symptoms of renal failure can cause same symptoms as dementia and even worse if they actually have dementia as we are made to believe the dementia is at the next stage when actually it is the renal failure that is at the next stage please check the hospital have looked at this possibility and don't go through what we have, with help the symptoms and severity can be controlled giving him a better quality of life and yourself a lot more time with him before his dementia does get worse, it is a lot more distressing with added uncontrolled renal failure symptoms, we lost a lot more communication with dad a lot faster and it wasn't necessary xx