Hello everyone. I don't know if anyone remembers but I recently posted with a problem with my dad's medication. He has had Alzheimer's for six years and been on Aricept from the start and last year he was put on Memantine alongside his Aricept.
However, he has been in a lovely nursing home for about four months now, after my sister and myself took the agonising decision that we just couldn't manage any more. The home have had difficulty giving dad his pills for the last 5 or 6 weeks (dad kept spitting them out) and last week his new doctor took him off the tablets altogether! I was really annoyed, frustrated and scared at the time. I immediately got in touch with his consultant who had not seen dad for 8 months who agreed with the doctor and said that he did the right thing, and that the drugs probably would not be helping very much now anyway. Nobody has mentioned any alternatives e.g. the oral drops for Memantine, or the tablet for Aricept that melts on the tongue. When I mentioned these to the consultant, he just said that he thinks dad has done well to react so well to the drugs for the last six years and now is the time to take him off them.
I am so scared for my poor dad, I can see a difference already. He struggles now to pick up his finger food and put it up to his mouth. He still drinks a cup of tea but misses his mouth sometimes. Is this the start of the decline in dad? He talks gibberish and it was only a couple of months ago that he could still remember his army number from when he did his national service! He can't even understand us now.
Do I carry on fighting for dad's medication, or do I just accept that he is on his own now? The nursing home, although they are very good, they are on the side of the doctors and it would be very difficult (maybe impossible) to give dad any medication now. I am so worried, that I am not doing enough for dad by not fighting his corner anymore. Have I given up too quickly and easily? The nursing home say that perhaps I have not accepted dad's Alzheimer's yet, have any of us truly accepted this horrible disease?
So sorry to have rattled on but I am so worried, and I know all of you out there have your own problems and I am sorry to burden you with mine. But you are all so knowledgeable and I thought someone could offer an insight into whether I am doing the right thing or not.
Thank you, take care Rosie xx
However, he has been in a lovely nursing home for about four months now, after my sister and myself took the agonising decision that we just couldn't manage any more. The home have had difficulty giving dad his pills for the last 5 or 6 weeks (dad kept spitting them out) and last week his new doctor took him off the tablets altogether! I was really annoyed, frustrated and scared at the time. I immediately got in touch with his consultant who had not seen dad for 8 months who agreed with the doctor and said that he did the right thing, and that the drugs probably would not be helping very much now anyway. Nobody has mentioned any alternatives e.g. the oral drops for Memantine, or the tablet for Aricept that melts on the tongue. When I mentioned these to the consultant, he just said that he thinks dad has done well to react so well to the drugs for the last six years and now is the time to take him off them.
I am so scared for my poor dad, I can see a difference already. He struggles now to pick up his finger food and put it up to his mouth. He still drinks a cup of tea but misses his mouth sometimes. Is this the start of the decline in dad? He talks gibberish and it was only a couple of months ago that he could still remember his army number from when he did his national service! He can't even understand us now.
Do I carry on fighting for dad's medication, or do I just accept that he is on his own now? The nursing home, although they are very good, they are on the side of the doctors and it would be very difficult (maybe impossible) to give dad any medication now. I am so worried, that I am not doing enough for dad by not fighting his corner anymore. Have I given up too quickly and easily? The nursing home say that perhaps I have not accepted dad's Alzheimer's yet, have any of us truly accepted this horrible disease?
So sorry to have rattled on but I am so worried, and I know all of you out there have your own problems and I am sorry to burden you with mine. But you are all so knowledgeable and I thought someone could offer an insight into whether I am doing the right thing or not.
Thank you, take care Rosie xx