Sectioned with delirium - still no progress
- Thread starter Eaexh01
- Start date
thank you lemonbalm, I think I may well have to contact PaLS. I cannot believe that after more than 6 weeks they still don’t know what is causing the delirium or suicidal thoughts. And the fact it’s getting worse is so frustrating,
It's a dreadful situation for you and your mum. It wouldn't be so bad if you were kept informed but it seems that you are not. I hope that you find a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel very soon. At least if you were given a clear idea of some kind of plan regarding what treatment/medication they were trying, what the effects might be and so on, it would be a little more bearable. Time to make some noise I think (in a firm but polite and controlled way, of course). Good luck.
I can only say that my parent's doctor, memory clinic and SS a complete waste of time. I know I'm not the only one either.
@Eaexh01 What you said about your Mum being diabetic rang a bell with me. When my mother was in hospital, there was a lady in the bed opposite who was trying to throw herself out of bed and was very confused, talking nonsense. Her husband didn't know what to do. It turned out to be something to do with her diabetes. However, I presume your mother has had tests to find out if her blood sugar levels are OK?
Also, elderly people can suffer from mental illness like paranoia - someone's father I knew had an episode of this and he recovered but they then found out his thyroid levels were awry. I hope they have done thorough tests on your mother to see if there's a physiological cause for her delirium. Can you speak to a ward doctor or to her consultant to find out exactly what they've done and ruled out?
I hope things get better soon for your mother. It must be very harrowing for you.
Also, elderly people can suffer from mental illness like paranoia - someone's father I knew had an episode of this and he recovered but they then found out his thyroid levels were awry. I hope they have done thorough tests on your mother to see if there's a physiological cause for her delirium. Can you speak to a ward doctor or to her consultant to find out exactly what they've done and ruled out?
I hope things get better soon for your mother. It must be very harrowing for you.
Hi Eaexh01, I do feel for you and your situation sounds quite similar to mine. My mum had no diagnosis of any kind of dementia problems, but in Feburary (2015) I found out from her sister that, whilst I'd been on holiday abroad, my mum had been taken from her home to a psychiatric ward. Several weeks later she was sectioned. I couldn't help thinking that the sectioning was a result of me being so horrified of what was happening to her and the delusions she was suffering from that I was desparate to get her out of the hospital. That led to even more guilt than I already had. My mum went from what I thought was a sane woman to someone believing all sorts of impossible things. However, I now believe she'd had mental health problems for a long term, but it had just been put down to her personality. We always had a difficult relationship.
I came to realise that my mum would have ended up being subject to a DoL anyway, whatever I did. There was no official diagnosis of Alzheimers/dementia; rather degenerative cognitive impairment . Eventually she was moved from a Section 2 order to a Section 3, which meant she could never go back to her home. I found her a care home near me, and eventually the delusions seemed to stop. Whether that was down to the right medication, I don't know.
It's horrible what you and your poor mum are going through but I hope it helps you to know that others, whilst not being able to place themselves in your shoes, do understand what you're going through.
I came to realise that my mum would have ended up being subject to a DoL anyway, whatever I did. There was no official diagnosis of Alzheimers/dementia; rather degenerative cognitive impairment . Eventually she was moved from a Section 2 order to a Section 3, which meant she could never go back to her home. I found her a care home near me, and eventually the delusions seemed to stop. Whether that was down to the right medication, I don't know.
It's horrible what you and your poor mum are going through but I hope it helps you to know that others, whilst not being able to place themselves in your shoes, do understand what you're going through.
Thank you Unknown, your situation seems very similar to mine.
Eventually the registrar rang me on Thursday and was actually very helpful; apologising for lack of updates.
He said they are still dealing with delirium and despite the suicidal thoughts and self-harming doesn’t think a depressive disorder is present. Said her symptoms and rapidly changing behaviours don’t concur with depression. Not sure I agree but doesn’t really make much difference at this stage..
He also said they are very reluctant to put her on more meds as this could make matters worse.
Reassuringly he said he will ring fortnightly to discuss progress but also spontaneously if anything significant happens. So still a waiting game. I visited this morning and she seems to have settled into a mix of confusion (dates/events/age) extreme paranoia (especially towards men) and desperation to finish herself off.
Although she knows who I am, she thinks I am part of this ‘grand apocalypse’; there is no longer any flicker of interest in anything or anyone else. I’m ashamed to say I’m exhausted by the end of my visit.
The doctor says it will pass but now being in the 10th week I can’t see how she will ever come back from this.
Eventually the registrar rang me on Thursday and was actually very helpful; apologising for lack of updates.
He said they are still dealing with delirium and despite the suicidal thoughts and self-harming doesn’t think a depressive disorder is present. Said her symptoms and rapidly changing behaviours don’t concur with depression. Not sure I agree but doesn’t really make much difference at this stage..
He also said they are very reluctant to put her on more meds as this could make matters worse.
Reassuringly he said he will ring fortnightly to discuss progress but also spontaneously if anything significant happens. So still a waiting game. I visited this morning and she seems to have settled into a mix of confusion (dates/events/age) extreme paranoia (especially towards men) and desperation to finish herself off.
Although she knows who I am, she thinks I am part of this ‘grand apocalypse’; there is no longer any flicker of interest in anything or anyone else. I’m ashamed to say I’m exhausted by the end of my visit.
The doctor says it will pass but now being in the 10th week I can’t see how she will ever come back from this.
It can take up to 6 months to recover from delerium and they dont usually recover back up to the level they were before. Sometimes, unfortunately, there is very little improvement at all. So its a bit of a waiting game, Im afraid
Thank you Canary. The paranoia (to a lesser extent) and the confusion I can deal with; it’s the relentless references to self-harm and death that makes it so hard. What if this never recedes?’Are there care homes that can deal with this behaviour and risk on a long term basis?
There will be somewhere that will accept the challenging behaviour.
While she is in the assessment unit the doctors will eventually be looking to improve her mood with various drugs. It may take a while to maximise the affect and at the moment the doctors dont really know what they are dealing with. It may be that the thoughts of self-harm will fade away as the delirium improves, so the doctors are playing the wait and see game too.
While she is in the assessment unit the doctors will eventually be looking to improve her mood with various drugs. It may take a while to maximise the affect and at the moment the doctors dont really know what they are dealing with. It may be that the thoughts of self-harm will fade away as the delirium improves, so the doctors are playing the wait and see game too.
I've just come across this post , and it is alarmingly similar to my dear Mum. In the space of 6 weeks she went from sane,sensible and competent to a paranoid madwoman. She broke her hip, had several episodes of poorly diagnosed and poorly treated delirium, and was sectioned for 14weeks. Dementia was never mentioned, and she was discharged (mainly due to my father's imminent death) with "resolving delirium". After a year it was quite clear that there was no resolving going on, and she was ultimately diagnosed with a non-specific dementia. My lovely Mum had gone in the blink of an eye, something I had no idea was even possible. The most upsetting part of it all is that we were never warned that this might be an outcome, yet it is clearly a scenario experienced by many on here. 4 years in, and the paranoia has generally disappeared. However, from day one she was unable to live independently and has gradually detriorated in both mental and physical health.
Sorry to sound so pessimistic.
Sorry to sound so pessimistic.
So fast forward a month, it’s been declared capacity has returned and they want Mum out of the unit ASAP!
I can only imagine that the bar for measuring capacity is extremely low. Yes the delirium seems to have finally subsided but mentally she is still extremely frail and quite confused.
I now have a huge problem on my hands; she is absolutely adamant that she is not returning/going into any respite. She remembers very little of the last 6 minths, doesn’t believe she’s been particularly unwell and that they will finish her off in a nursing home.
The nursing team and I have exhausted every attempt to sell respite to her - short term, bit of TLC, stepping stone to maybe going home etc etc, she’s having none of it and is acting like a toddler.
totally forgotten all the emergencies whilst she was struggled to cope at home , carers not arriving, falling over, not following safety rules, me flying over in middle of the night. She just doesn’t care.
I have had enough of arguing and pleading with her. I can’t actually believe she’s got capacity as she seems so changed to me. I honestly think there has been some sort brain damage or onset of dementia but they seem quite happy to discharge her. They have even said that at as ‘delirium’ isn’t classified as a mental disorder she won’t receive any follow up care, despite now being at higher risk of it returning!
I’m exhausted and worried sick of the whole merry go round starting again
I can only imagine that the bar for measuring capacity is extremely low. Yes the delirium seems to have finally subsided but mentally she is still extremely frail and quite confused.
I now have a huge problem on my hands; she is absolutely adamant that she is not returning/going into any respite. She remembers very little of the last 6 minths, doesn’t believe she’s been particularly unwell and that they will finish her off in a nursing home.
The nursing team and I have exhausted every attempt to sell respite to her - short term, bit of TLC, stepping stone to maybe going home etc etc, she’s having none of it and is acting like a toddler.
totally forgotten all the emergencies whilst she was struggled to cope at home , carers not arriving, falling over, not following safety rules, me flying over in middle of the night. She just doesn’t care.
I have had enough of arguing and pleading with her. I can’t actually believe she’s got capacity as she seems so changed to me. I honestly think there has been some sort brain damage or onset of dementia but they seem quite happy to discharge her. They have even said that at as ‘delirium’ isn’t classified as a mental disorder she won’t receive any follow up care, despite now being at higher risk of it returning!
I’m exhausted and worried sick of the whole merry go round starting again
Hi! I love that word “capacity “. It seems to cover a multiple of sins. My dad has “ fluctuating capacity “ and it drives me ?!
I assume the carers will be returning?
Not easy I know but if she has “capacity “ then give the responsibility back to her.. Sometimes you cannot help people so they have to take the consequences..
My dad won’t go into a home. He does nothing for himself and cannot walk without a frame and someone with him.
He won’t move his hospital bed into another room to enable me help him. So I’ve told him if he falls etc then he has to accept responsibility.
I have had to step back mentally for my own peace of mind. You may have to do the same. (((Hugs)))
