Sending strength to you @canary . What a time you're having!!
I agree with @pevensey. Now is the time to put your foot down and make sure you get all the help you need.
Maybe even a bit of strategic foot-stamping if necessary...
I hope you get some good news about the car. I've beaten both you and @DesperateofDevon - my car is 18 years old (my dad bought it for me 15 years ago when I was just divorced and very broke)
My OH is 63, up until last week there would have been no doubt that he had capacity, so I would never had been asked about making decisions for him and it would not have been deemed appropriate for someone at his stage.
Also, dont forget that he does not have a diagnosis of dementia - only MCI............. (although Im sure its some form of dementia)
This is a VERY big change
I agree you need to make sure that they don't send him home too quickly. He needs to have a reasonable level of mobility or you just won't manage on your own.
We had dad home when he could hardly stand and we needed 2 of us just to get him to the bathroom. Dad had to come out because he was falling over in hospital, not really their fault but if he had stayed another week he would not have come out but dad is a different case altogether. He is quite mobile now but still wobbly after 7 months with no memory of it at all. It was blooming hard work and I could not have done it alone.
Hope they get your car sorted out. I find it somehow comforting that a whole bunch of us seem to be happy to drive around in what a lot of people would call old bangers. Mine is French and is looking forward to her 33rd birthday soon so is probably the oldest.
actually I think it says a lot about us as people. Or is that just the psychologist in me ......... nope we are nice peeps who respect animate & inanimate objects.
Yay! knew I’d find like minded souls somewhere!!!
Xx
Oh, Ive already said that I give my consent. OH and I had that talk last year and Ive seen what CPR can do, so there was no doubt what my answer would be.
I just hadnt realised that we had got to that stage
At least that's one good outcome of it all if you get a good care package in place Canary hopefully it will make life a wee bit easier, although that's a silly thing to say as life will never be easy when living with a PWD. That must have been a big shock for you when they said about the DNR that seems such an insensitive thing to say over the phone, surely it's the sort of conversation you have face to face with a Dr, it must have been so upsetting for you. , I cant imagine how you must have felt. Make sure you try and enjoy your YOU TIME @canary, lots of sleep, good food, and wine, just what the Dr orderd.The doctor has just phoned me. I was able to give a clear potted history of what has been going and when asked if I would be happy to have him home once the physios were happy I gave a cagey yes, but was pretty assertive that I would need a care package. She said they would organise it.
She also asked if I was happy to OK a DNR, which came as a shock. Im very happy to this, but before he went in no-one would have even considered it to be appropriate - he could often fool doctors into thinking that there was nothing wrong with him. Im pretty devastated
Crumbs! Is that considered vintage?
Ha ha yes, I have become very unmaterialistic over the years. There is nothing that I want, other than to travel a bit and that does not mean in style at all. I would be happy to just go but I do love that old car even though I know the average person wouldn't be seen dead in it but we are not the average person are we.
I can understand someone's shock if this hadn't considered it, Its a big decision to have you make on your own. But i am wondering if it's just a tick on the list they have to ask? not necessarily meaning it is iminent? I don't now....
My pwd is 65 now (6 years we have known) He has mixed dementia. We talked about DNR as soon as we got the results. In the first few week/months when we sorted things through. He has chosen this while he was able so as not to put the pressure on others to have to make the decision. My problem now, seeing this conversation tonight reminded me, that we didn't actually make a record or talk to GP about this. It is something we talked through with his brilliant memory team as something we might want to consider. I realise not everyone would want to start this conversation. But the memory team at the time made the discussion relatively easy. (We have since left the area). We have an LPA in place and i know his wishes but I will bring it up at his next gp appointment just to make sure his wishes are met.
I was advised by our doctor to have a DNR form signed and left in a prominent place, I put it by the telephone, and my husband is not at a terminal stage. I had one signed for me too! It’s only for when you have had a cardiac arrest and need aggressive treatment. My son was confused by this, thinking it was for any collapse but it’s only if you are unconscious. It is in fact a reasonably rare event and unlikely to happen but if it does you have to ask yourself if you would want to be aggressively revived. If one does have a cardiac arrest and survive, the outcome can be even grimmer than the time before. Younger people are more likely to want this outcome. I know the chances of having one are low but I wouldn’t want to be brought back from such a serious situation. It’s quite different to a do not treat situation when palliative care only is given. Take heart @canary I think it’s only sensible. Just bad timing with all your stresses xShe also asked if I was happy to OK a DNR, which came as a shock. Im very happy to this, but before he went in no-one would have even considered it to be appropriate -
Of course you havent - I just thought I hadnt expressed the reason why I was upset very wellI'm so sorry and hope I haven't put my foot in anything.
The car has, as I thought, got a problem with the back brakes. The garage said something about a spring disintegrating and locking the brake. It means very little to me, but it is, apparently, a fairly simple job. They are having to replace the whole brake unit, but it should be done today. OHs (invisible) brother has stepped up to the mark and said that he will give me a lift to the garage to pick my car up and will give me a lift to the hospital if its not ready by lunchtime.
Of course you havent - I just thought I hadnt expressed the reason why I was upset very well
Goodmorning @canary I hope OH is feeling better today and is recovering from his infection, and really hope your getting good nights sleep and recovering yourself too. Hugs and thoughts for you.glad the invisible man has stepped up in his mackintosh, ( I’m a marvel comic fan!!)
This year I’ve spent over 1.6k on Betty - better the beetle you know me thinks!