My mum is 86, she has been living in an EMI care home for nearly 4.5years.
Her communication skills were poor going there and have been almost non-existent for over 2years and she became doubly incontinent not long after admittance. She lost a great deal of weight through constantly walking the corridors and rooms. A little over a year ago she fell and broke her right hip. She underwent surgery and was in hospital for many weeks later as other issues arose. After this she was transferred to EMI nursing. Amazingly she did learn to walk again but became increasingly frail and was eventually confined to a wheelchair. In April I was told she could no longer transfer and had been assessed for a hoist.
Last Wednesday evening I received a call late at night to say paramedics had been called due to mum having difficulty breathing (earlier in the month she had received antibiotics for a chest infection). When I arrived the paramedics said she was showing all the signs of sepsis and wanted to take her to hospital. After last years experience I was somewhat reluctant. Mum has a DNR in place and I wish her to go peacefully in the care Home. However, after discussion I agreed. The doctor at the hospital assessed her - SATs were 80 and she had a very high heart rate. He said he saw no point in treating my mum and sent her back to the care Home for palliative care. I totally agreed with this decision as my mum has no quality of life left at all. On Friday morning her condition declined further and the Home called the GP he instructed the Home to stop all medication and prescribed Subcutaneous diamorphine injections to be administered upon signs of distress/pain. Friday all through the night her breathing was very laboured and heart rate very erratic. Saturday morning her breathing seemed easier. Between Friday and early hours of this morning she had 5 injections. She still would take small amounts of liquid but not food and was semi-conscious. Today however she has been far more awake, been smiling, drank over a pint of liquid throughout the morning and evening and even ate a pot and a half of yogurt! The doctor who came to review was apparently astonished and so are we! The priest had even been out to give her the sacarament. The nurse in the care Home has told me this evening that the doctor is coming tomorrow and will probably take my mother off diamorphine and prescribe pain patches. Her SATs are now 90 although her heart rate is high.
I feel such a terrible person I just want my mother to finally find peace - she has no quality of life whatsoever.
I am concern that if a sudden relapse occurs that she will have no access to the diamorphine. Is my mother likely to continue to improve or is this just a temporary improvement? As anybody experienced this happening on end of life care?
Her communication skills were poor going there and have been almost non-existent for over 2years and she became doubly incontinent not long after admittance. She lost a great deal of weight through constantly walking the corridors and rooms. A little over a year ago she fell and broke her right hip. She underwent surgery and was in hospital for many weeks later as other issues arose. After this she was transferred to EMI nursing. Amazingly she did learn to walk again but became increasingly frail and was eventually confined to a wheelchair. In April I was told she could no longer transfer and had been assessed for a hoist.
Last Wednesday evening I received a call late at night to say paramedics had been called due to mum having difficulty breathing (earlier in the month she had received antibiotics for a chest infection). When I arrived the paramedics said she was showing all the signs of sepsis and wanted to take her to hospital. After last years experience I was somewhat reluctant. Mum has a DNR in place and I wish her to go peacefully in the care Home. However, after discussion I agreed. The doctor at the hospital assessed her - SATs were 80 and she had a very high heart rate. He said he saw no point in treating my mum and sent her back to the care Home for palliative care. I totally agreed with this decision as my mum has no quality of life left at all. On Friday morning her condition declined further and the Home called the GP he instructed the Home to stop all medication and prescribed Subcutaneous diamorphine injections to be administered upon signs of distress/pain. Friday all through the night her breathing was very laboured and heart rate very erratic. Saturday morning her breathing seemed easier. Between Friday and early hours of this morning she had 5 injections. She still would take small amounts of liquid but not food and was semi-conscious. Today however she has been far more awake, been smiling, drank over a pint of liquid throughout the morning and evening and even ate a pot and a half of yogurt! The doctor who came to review was apparently astonished and so are we! The priest had even been out to give her the sacarament. The nurse in the care Home has told me this evening that the doctor is coming tomorrow and will probably take my mother off diamorphine and prescribe pain patches. Her SATs are now 90 although her heart rate is high.
I feel such a terrible person I just want my mother to finally find peace - she has no quality of life whatsoever.
I am concern that if a sudden relapse occurs that she will have no access to the diamorphine. Is my mother likely to continue to improve or is this just a temporary improvement? As anybody experienced this happening on end of life care?
