Lost

[mrsfair]

My Nan has late stage dementia she can no longer eat or drink as a family so far we have provided all care at home now both morning and night stays the gp has been beyond useless and his answer was there is no magics cure
She has been reviewed by salt and her swallow is poor but no change but now she is choking on all food and drink both only in liquid form.
As a family we are lost we are being offered no support luckily my mum is an ex sister (nurse) and worked in day to day elderly care but we need professional help
Sending her into hospital goes against all our wishes including my grandads and will be a last resort

 

[karaokePete]

Hello @mrsfair, you are welcome here.

I can't offer any advice as I haven't been in your situation but I hope others with experience will be along tomorrow.

I wish you the strength you will need at this time and hope that you will continue to post for support.

 

[canary]

Hello @mrsfair and welcome to Talking Point

How long is it since your nan saw the SALT team? They have strategies for helping swallowing at the advanced stages. Does your nan have thickeners for her drinks? Sometimes using a straw works. Getting her to sit up straight and tip her chin down when she swallows, or gently stroking her throat to stimulate the swallow reflex, can help too.

 

[Shedrech]

hello @mrsfair and welcome from me too

I wonder whether Admiral Nurses may be of help to your mum
https://www.dementiauk.org/get-support/admiral-nursing/

and agree about a re-referral to the SALT team

it's a lot to ask of any family to provide all the care ... if you haven't already, maybe request an assessment of care needs by the LA Adult Services as some help may come through that

and the GP can refer to Marie Curie Nurses who may be able to help with nighttimes

 

[la lucia]

My Nan has late stage dementia she can no longer eat or drink as a family so far we have provided all care at home now both morning and night stays the gp has been beyond useless and his answer was there is no magics cure
She has been reviewed by salt and her swallow is poor but no change but now she is choking on all food and drink both only in liquid form.
As a family we are lost we are being offered no support luckily my mum is an ex sister (nurse) and worked in day to day elderly care but we need professional help
Sending her into hospital goes against all our wishes including my grandads and will be a last resort

What a difficult time for you.

You need to get some help fast so maybe call an out of hours GP via 111. If not then call your surgery asap and insist that you want someone to see your grandma to assess whether she needs palliative care or not. You mustn't go through this without support.

Please don't give up until someone has been to visit your grandma and made a professional assessment of the situation. Admiral nurses aren't in every area unfortunately but you could try Rowecroft or Marie Curie. They're all a bit variable in quality but they should at least point you in the right direction.