Dad

plastic scouser

Registered User
Sep 22, 2006
49
0
Hale Village, Liverpool
Hi All

Seems like ages since I last posted...

Dad went into care in November, initially for respite but it then became totally obvious that it would be permanent. Dad initially responded well but became more & more violent towards the staff, kicking & punching them when they tried to give him medication or get him to wash/shave etc...

Anyway, on the night of the 6th December, Dad was sectioned after attacking the care home staff (bit the top off the finger off one of them!) to the local care unit. He's gone downhill very quickly - especially as they've been using sedatives to combat the violence. He's now not able to walk unaided and he's losing weight fast - they're worried about his fluid intake and the eating.

I spoke today to the staff nurse and she tells me that they've now removed the sectioning order but that he's being kept in the hospital as an "involuntary patient"?

They're trying to get him transferred to a more local hospital so that Mum can get to visit him easier but this may take time due to the bed issue. They're pretty certain that he won't be coming out of hospital due to his deterioration.

What happens now with regards to care? Mum has just filled in all the assessment forms and was braced for some very bad news with regards to payment for care etc...What does "involuntary patient" mean? Can he be discharged without our consent?

Sorry if this sounds a bit mercenary - but Mum's got enough on her plate with worrying about Dad, let alone worrying about future care...

Thanks everyone!!!
 

plastic scouser

Registered User
Sep 22, 2006
49
0
Hale Village, Liverpool
Just as an update, Mum rang from the hospital, Dad is not eating or drinking now - he had 600ml of water yesterday, 5ml the day before. His blood pressure keeps dropping and he's eating very little. He's in a secure unit, yet they're talking about transferring him to the main hospital for treatment!? Why can't they just stick a drip in him now to avoid any further problems?

God this is an evil disease...:mad:
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Have been reading your post b4 , just not sure what to say .

Do you have a social worker for your father you can talk to?

why not ask them at the secure unit ?
Why can't they just stick a drip in him now to avoid any further problems?
.

If anything go wrong its going to be they reasonability, so are they not giving him any medication now for his temper calm him ? and I wonder why can they not put a drip on him now , I would ask them why they are not doing that now .

Are you communicating with the doctors and nurses when you visit or is it your mother ?
 
Last edited:

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,445
0
Kent
So sorry scouser. Your poor dad. What must he be going through. It sounds as if he doesn`t need to be kept in a secure unit any longer as he wouldn`t have the strength to hurt a fly. I do hope something gets sorted to improve the quality of his care.
 

plastic scouser

Registered User
Sep 22, 2006
49
0
Hale Village, Liverpool
Just as a further update, Dad was taken into hospital last night to be rehydrated and to be given nutrition. Spoke to the staff nurse on duty and they're also reducing the level of medicines as they feel he's too drowsy - so that's not a great comment on what's been going on in the secure unit...he's been off the halperidol (sedative) for a while now apparently but there's obviously other stuff that's keeping him almost comatose...

The thing is, if he doesn't eat or drink he's going to be yo-yoing backwards and forwards between the secure unit & the hospital...Apparently because they're mental health staff at the unit, they're not allowed to put drips in...gotta love the NHS haven't you!!!!
 

plastic scouser

Registered User
Sep 22, 2006
49
0
Hale Village, Liverpool
So Dad is now comatose in a hospital ward. He's had no solids for over a week now and is on fluid rehydration. He's also apparently had a stroke as well.

What makes me so angry is that he has had absolutely no care at all until the final stages of this awful disease. Only now, on a medical ward does he appear to be actually getting a decent level of care. Everywhere else it's been a case of fill him up with sedatives so that he doesn't cause any problems...:mad:

Speaking to the nurses & doctor on his ward he's apparently that drugged up that he may well have broken a bone in his leg and not noticed it until now - they've taken him off all medication so he's actually coming out of a drug-induced stupor...

What makes it worse is that I'm stuck in Liverpool with Mum having to cope with this over 250 miles away - Dad being in a hospital over 40 miles from home doesn't help either....
 

dmc

Registered User
Mar 13, 2006
1,157
0
hi plastic scouser,
just wanted to send some sympathy your way, that story could have been me a year ago sounds exactly what we went through with my mum, only they didnt section her but there was talk if her behaviour had got any worse, fortunatley (or not) she did get better, she was also on haloperidol, but was taken off that a few months ago.
she's on a concoction of drugs now to keep her "calm" and is in a dementia ward in a local hospital, one of the drugs she's on is epilim which seems to keep her stable but for the last year theyve chopped and changed her meds.
just wanted to wish you all the best anyway , hope your mum has a network of help she can call on? there is help there you just have to shout loud enough to get it.
take care
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,445
0
Kent
Hello Scouser, Can`t offer anything to help but just wanted to make contact to sympathize with you and your mum. It doesn`t get any easier does it?
At least you seem more satisfied with the care your dad`s receiving now.
All the best Sylvia x
 

plastic scouser

Registered User
Sep 22, 2006
49
0
Hale Village, Liverpool
Thanks for the comments...

Having spoken to the consultant earlier today the outlook is pretty bleak. They can't get a feeding tube into Dad as he's too agitated and due to the fact he now has pneumonia, they can't sedate him due to his low oxygen levels...time is short I am led to believe....:(
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
I am so sorry to hear this. Will you be able to get "home" in the near future? Without trying to be alarmist, it sounds as if it might be a good idea.

Love

Jennifer
 

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