Hi all
Am really at a loss what to do next I have cared for my mum for 8 years she is 80 years old with a diagnosis of Alhzeimers. Last October it became apparent I could no longer keep her safe at home as she was found walking by the police and at real danger this was on the back of a change in meds and an awful experience with memantine which was stopped. Mum was assessed as needing 24 hour care and to be honest I knew this was true as just leaving her to go to work with carers coming in sent my anxiety sky high. I am very lucky as there was a place at a residential home very near me with a good reputation by word of mouth. We moved last October which totally traumatised me but Mum really settled and seemed to buzz from the company in fact I have not seen her so happy in a long time and we settled into a new routine where I would pick her up and go out and watch films attend activities it was fab. At the beginning of November it was agreed with mums mental team that a low dose of Aricept 5mg could be tried and to be honest it has gone down hill by the end of December mum wasn't eating , sleeping and was highly anxious and worried while I was asking for the Aricept to be stopped at the start of January she had an awful fall and has broke her wrist in 2 places and forearm in 1 place. I have spent the last month at a and e and hospital because Mum has managed to get 3 pots off the result being her bones are not healing great but due to the risk of her infecting the wound they want to manage it conservatively. Despite this mum did calm down and her appetite did return but since having her fourth and final pot on she has really declined this was about 3 weeks ago she has become very tearful and refusing to eat and looks worn out and frail I bet she has lost a good 2 stones in weight the Dr has now prescribed fortisips. 2 weeks ago I had her checked out with full bloods and sats blood pressure etc and nothing showing. I also managed to get a 7 day course of anti biotics last Monday in case it was a uti. To my horror last Wednesday I found out she was not on any pain relief only paracetamol now and then and given when I hugged her she flinched and cried and just moving her made her scream I spoke with her doctor who has prescribed a low dose morphine patch and yesterday after seeing her has added liquid paracetamol despite this mums leg really still hurt her and are agitated every time she moves them she grimaces she is so frustrated and when she can't get up just cries. Mum also suffers from osteo arthritis I did ask the Dr for a short course of anti inflammatory but they are really not keen given her age and the harshness on the system and had actually stopped them a few weeks ago and no one told me which kind of fits with mum in decline and pain. I don't know within a matter of a 3 weeks mum has gone from happyish and moving around to being tearful and sat in a chair all day trying to get up and crying when she can't or screaming out when moved and I don't know what my next move should be and am devastasted and worried sick about how she is part of me wants to bring her home for a bit, part of me wants to give her some anti inflammotorys part of me wishes I had the money to hire a medical team. Anyone been through anything similar or any words of wisdom of what to push for next am getting worried mum will never smile or walk again and even though she could get spirited in all the 8 years she has never been down and tearful thank you in advance xx
Forgot to add the reason I had the Dr come back out yesterday is because whenever she moves her lower legs it seems to cause her a lot of pain and when she cries out it is not aggressive its a I'm in pain scream and she asks you to stop she also is reluctant to weight bare when standing up and goes stiff and resistant also they have started her on metazipine an anti depressant xx
Am really at a loss what to do next I have cared for my mum for 8 years she is 80 years old with a diagnosis of Alhzeimers. Last October it became apparent I could no longer keep her safe at home as she was found walking by the police and at real danger this was on the back of a change in meds and an awful experience with memantine which was stopped. Mum was assessed as needing 24 hour care and to be honest I knew this was true as just leaving her to go to work with carers coming in sent my anxiety sky high. I am very lucky as there was a place at a residential home very near me with a good reputation by word of mouth. We moved last October which totally traumatised me but Mum really settled and seemed to buzz from the company in fact I have not seen her so happy in a long time and we settled into a new routine where I would pick her up and go out and watch films attend activities it was fab. At the beginning of November it was agreed with mums mental team that a low dose of Aricept 5mg could be tried and to be honest it has gone down hill by the end of December mum wasn't eating , sleeping and was highly anxious and worried while I was asking for the Aricept to be stopped at the start of January she had an awful fall and has broke her wrist in 2 places and forearm in 1 place. I have spent the last month at a and e and hospital because Mum has managed to get 3 pots off the result being her bones are not healing great but due to the risk of her infecting the wound they want to manage it conservatively. Despite this mum did calm down and her appetite did return but since having her fourth and final pot on she has really declined this was about 3 weeks ago she has become very tearful and refusing to eat and looks worn out and frail I bet she has lost a good 2 stones in weight the Dr has now prescribed fortisips. 2 weeks ago I had her checked out with full bloods and sats blood pressure etc and nothing showing. I also managed to get a 7 day course of anti biotics last Monday in case it was a uti. To my horror last Wednesday I found out she was not on any pain relief only paracetamol now and then and given when I hugged her she flinched and cried and just moving her made her scream I spoke with her doctor who has prescribed a low dose morphine patch and yesterday after seeing her has added liquid paracetamol despite this mums leg really still hurt her and are agitated every time she moves them she grimaces she is so frustrated and when she can't get up just cries. Mum also suffers from osteo arthritis I did ask the Dr for a short course of anti inflammatory but they are really not keen given her age and the harshness on the system and had actually stopped them a few weeks ago and no one told me which kind of fits with mum in decline and pain. I don't know within a matter of a 3 weeks mum has gone from happyish and moving around to being tearful and sat in a chair all day trying to get up and crying when she can't or screaming out when moved and I don't know what my next move should be and am devastasted and worried sick about how she is part of me wants to bring her home for a bit, part of me wants to give her some anti inflammotorys part of me wishes I had the money to hire a medical team. Anyone been through anything similar or any words of wisdom of what to push for next am getting worried mum will never smile or walk again and even though she could get spirited in all the 8 years she has never been down and tearful thank you in advance xx
Forgot to add the reason I had the Dr come back out yesterday is because whenever she moves her lower legs it seems to cause her a lot of pain and when she cries out it is not aggressive its a I'm in pain scream and she asks you to stop she also is reluctant to weight bare when standing up and goes stiff and resistant also they have started her on metazipine an anti depressant xx
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