I am brand new to the forum, and, despite having searched previous threads, I cannot find the answer I am looking for - hence this new posting. Please forgive me if this has previously been covered.
Background: My (widowed) Mum was diagnosed with vascular dementia about 10 years ago, but the condition has remained relatively stable since, due to prescribed medication. Sadly, she had to go into a Care Home almost a year ago because, the circumstances of our employed live-in carer changed after 2 years and we were unable to find a suitable replacement. With double incontinence and suddenly living on her own, it was no longer possible for Mum to remain at home.
The Care Home are that - very caring and kind although, since being there, Mum has suffered from several UTI's which have necessitated 2 hospital stays. When previously living at home, she had never had a UTI, although about 3 years ago she did have Sepsis, from which she recovered after a 4-week hospital admission. Fortunately, Mum successfully recovered from both recent infections after i/v antibiotics and fluids (on both occasions she was quite badly dehydrated in addition to the infection).
Recent Events: In August of this year, following the second of her 2 hospital stays (though it was only overnight as she responded well to the i/v antibiotics and fluids), Mum was discharged back to the Care Home. However, within a week, she had yet another UTI, then another, then another. So she has been on various oral antibiotics since mid-August. Her GP - who hasn't visited in person - said it's just a question of finding "the right antibiotic". Mum has been very drowsy since mid-August whch I attribute to the ongoing UTI.
Turn For The Worse: When I visited Mum at the Care Home on Sept 26th, I was shocked when Mum was presented to me in a wheelchair. She had previously been mobile, albeit with the help of a walker. But, more worryingly, Mum was slumped in the wheelchair and unable to communicate. She was so "out of it" she was not responding either to me or any of the Care Home staff. NHS111 were consulted, and later that afternoon an ambulance was sent. The paramedics checked Mum over, but could find nothing wrong - other than the fact that she was "sleepy".
This past weekend (Oct 3rd/4th), Mum declined even more. So much so, that I received a call from her GP yesterday (5th Oct) advising that they were now treating Mum as "end of life care". A recent blood test showed no major irregularities and her obs are 'normal', so her GP (still no visit in person) is stating "it must be the dementia" as nothing else obvious has been found.
My question to you: Given Mum's previously slow dementia decline over a 10 year period, can she really have moved to "end of life care" over a weekend? After all, she was verbally communicating and mobile only 3 weeks ago.
I can't help but feel that how she is now - 'confined' to bed in the Care Home and only able to communicate by nodding or shaking her head - could be the result of ongoing infection and/or dehydration, and that she has been "written off" by the medical profession because, in their words, "she's an old lady with dementia". I pointed out that her symptoms are almost identical to those she had with Sepsis 3 years ago, but thus was dismissed by the GP because "her obs are normal".
Thank you for taking the time to read. Your thoughts and views would be appreciated.
Background: My (widowed) Mum was diagnosed with vascular dementia about 10 years ago, but the condition has remained relatively stable since, due to prescribed medication. Sadly, she had to go into a Care Home almost a year ago because, the circumstances of our employed live-in carer changed after 2 years and we were unable to find a suitable replacement. With double incontinence and suddenly living on her own, it was no longer possible for Mum to remain at home.
The Care Home are that - very caring and kind although, since being there, Mum has suffered from several UTI's which have necessitated 2 hospital stays. When previously living at home, she had never had a UTI, although about 3 years ago she did have Sepsis, from which she recovered after a 4-week hospital admission. Fortunately, Mum successfully recovered from both recent infections after i/v antibiotics and fluids (on both occasions she was quite badly dehydrated in addition to the infection).
Recent Events: In August of this year, following the second of her 2 hospital stays (though it was only overnight as she responded well to the i/v antibiotics and fluids), Mum was discharged back to the Care Home. However, within a week, she had yet another UTI, then another, then another. So she has been on various oral antibiotics since mid-August. Her GP - who hasn't visited in person - said it's just a question of finding "the right antibiotic". Mum has been very drowsy since mid-August whch I attribute to the ongoing UTI.
Turn For The Worse: When I visited Mum at the Care Home on Sept 26th, I was shocked when Mum was presented to me in a wheelchair. She had previously been mobile, albeit with the help of a walker. But, more worryingly, Mum was slumped in the wheelchair and unable to communicate. She was so "out of it" she was not responding either to me or any of the Care Home staff. NHS111 were consulted, and later that afternoon an ambulance was sent. The paramedics checked Mum over, but could find nothing wrong - other than the fact that she was "sleepy".
This past weekend (Oct 3rd/4th), Mum declined even more. So much so, that I received a call from her GP yesterday (5th Oct) advising that they were now treating Mum as "end of life care". A recent blood test showed no major irregularities and her obs are 'normal', so her GP (still no visit in person) is stating "it must be the dementia" as nothing else obvious has been found.
My question to you: Given Mum's previously slow dementia decline over a 10 year period, can she really have moved to "end of life care" over a weekend? After all, she was verbally communicating and mobile only 3 weeks ago.
I can't help but feel that how she is now - 'confined' to bed in the Care Home and only able to communicate by nodding or shaking her head - could be the result of ongoing infection and/or dehydration, and that she has been "written off" by the medical profession because, in their words, "she's an old lady with dementia". I pointed out that her symptoms are almost identical to those she had with Sepsis 3 years ago, but thus was dismissed by the GP because "her obs are normal".
Thank you for taking the time to read. Your thoughts and views would be appreciated.
