Doctor over prescribed lorazepam hospital want to discharge mum

[Tony 1965]

Hi,
I need some advice please. My mum is 74 and has vascular dementia and alzheimers. She lives with her partner in an assisted living flat. She has been on olanzapine which the dosage was increased to 7.5 mg 2 weeks ago. Since then she has been rather dumbed down. Her partner called out the doctor on Wednesday who said that the doseage was to high and prescribed her lorezapam at a dosaege of 2 x 2.5mg. She took the first lot on Thursday evening and promptly went into a very deep sleep. Her partner couldnt wake her and in the morning called the ambulance who also couldnt wake her and took her to hospital. The hospital said that the dosage for a small 6 ish stone lady should only have been a maximum of 0.5 to 1mg and that she was in a state of delirium. In my layman terms from seeing her just above a coma state. She is still in hospital and they want to discharge her although she is not back to her base level before these tablets and currently can only get around with assistance on a zimmer frame.
We are having a meeting tomorrow afternoon with the hospital. In my view she would not be safe back at home, she would fall and injur herself and her partner would not be able to assist. The home only has a manager type and donot do day to day care.
Has anyone been in this situation that can offer help. We feel the doctor is negligent for the overdose, we dont want to put her in a home and even if she went into respite would they make sure shes eating and drinking ( currently only doing this with help ) Before she was admitted she could eat, walk, go to the toilet by herself now she cant.
Help please.

 

[karaokePete]

Hello @Tony 1965, welcome to TP. I'm sure you will get help here.

I don't have experience of this sort of situation myself but I'm sure others will have.

In the unlikely case that you don't get any replies maybe the help line could assist. The details are
National Dementia Helpline
0300 222 11 22
Our helpline advisers are here for you.

Helpline opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday 9am – 8pm
Thursday and Friday 9am – 5pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am – 4pm

 

[PJ]

Hi @Tony 1965 sorry to read your post. You should get some good help & support as suggested by Pete from The National Dementia helpline. Take care

 

[Hazara8]

Hi,
I need some advice please. My mum is 74 and has vascular dementia and alzheimers. She lives with her partner in an assisted living flat. She has been on olanzapine which the dosage was increased to 7.5 mg 2 weeks ago. Since then she has been rather dumbed down. Her partner called out the doctor on Wednesday who said that the doseage was to high and prescribed her lorezapam at a dosaege of 2 x 2.5mg. She took the first lot on Thursday evening and promptly went into a very deep sleep. Her partner couldnt wake her and in the morning called the ambulance who also couldnt wake her and took her to hospital. The hospital said that the dosage for a small 6 ish stone lady should only have been a maximum of 0.5 to 1mg and that she was in a state of delirium. In my layman terms from seeing her just above a coma state. She is still in hospital and they want to discharge her although she is not back to her base level before these tablets and currently can only get around with assistance on a zimmer frame.
We are having a meeting tomorrow afternoon with the hospital. In my view she would not be safe back at home, she would fall and injur herself and her partner would not be able to assist. The home only has a manager type and donot do day to day care.
Has anyone been in this situation that can offer help. We feel the doctor is negligent for the overdose, we dont want to put her in a home and even if she went into respite would they make sure shes eating and drinking ( currently only doing this with help ) Before she was admitted she could eat, walk, go to the toilet by herself now she cant.
Help please.

One must always be very careful when commenting on issues regarding medications and the like, unless clinically qualified. Alas, I am not qualified in that respect. I can only apply personal experience, which might point you in a certain direction. There are precautions with regard to any drug and anyone over say the age of 60. Dementia adds to this precaution for obvious reasons. In respect of the Olanzapine and the fact that your mother has Vascular dementia with Alzheimer's, this I understand is preferred to the older antipsychotics, but some feel that caution must be applied, especially in terms of dementia. I actually stopped my late mother (also Alzheimer's/Vascular dementia) receiving an older antipsychotic, because she was in her 90's and I had some advice for an authoritative source that it was detrimental. The Lorazepam , a sedative often used to curb anxiety, made my mother quite lethargic and exacerbated sleep - I applied it with caution. These drugs can bring about delirium and you should be able to ascertain from the doctor if this is the case with your mother. Your mother must be fully assessed prior to any discharge as to her fitness and safety in the assisted living home you cite. As to 'respite' in a Care Home. Yes, they would ensure proper fluid intake and nutrition based upon a Care Plan.

As provided above the National Dementia Helpline should offer constructive help and enable you to ensure that your mother is receiving the best and most appropriate level of care.

 

[Tony 1965]

One must always be very careful when commenting on issues regarding medications and the like, unless clinically qualified. Alas, I am not qualified in that respect. I can only apply personal experience, which might point you in a certain direction. There are precautions with regard to any drug and anyone over say the age of 60. Dementia adds to this precaution for obvious reasons. In respect of the Olanzapine and the fact that your mother has Vascular dementia with Alzheimer's, this I understand is preferred to the older antipsychotics, but some feel that caution must be applied, especially in terms of dementia. I actually stopped my late mother (also Alzheimer's/Vascular dementia) receiving an older antipsychotic, because she was in her 90's and I had some advice for an authoritative source that it was detrimental. The Lorazepam , a sedative often used to curb anxiety, made my mother quite lethargic and exacerbated sleep - I applied it with caution. These drugs can bring about delirium and you should be able to ascertain from the doctor if this is the case with your mother. Your mother must be fully assessed prior to any discharge as to her fitness and safety in the assisted living home you cite. As to 'respite' in a Care Home. Yes, they would ensure proper fluid intake and nutrition based upon a Care Plan.

As provided above the National Dementia Helpline should offer constructive help and enable you to ensure that your mother is receiving the best and most appropriate level of care.

Thank you very much