What a Dreadful Day

[Nebiroth]

Oh dear! Finally got my Dad to see his GP about his agression/paranoia (GP "asked to see him" during his annual heart checkup at the surgery).

Poor Dad didn't know what time it was, what day it was, kept on about "the old days" with all sorts of fantastic tales, insisted that he was right and that "the neighbours are definitely damaging our house I saw them do it!".

GP told him "you must stop this, your wife cannot cope with you like this, you are making her ill" (dropping us right in it, I suspect Dad despite his problems will manage to work out who reported all this to the GP)

He's been prescribed Olanzapine (very low dose at bedtime) and the consultant psychiatrist is coming to visit shortly.

Of course Dad immediately said "I know what you're doing, you're going to lock me up in a home!"

Unfortunately the specialist Memory Unit is attached to the main Mental Health Hospital for the area - including the secure unit - so just being visited by a doctor from there sounds sinister!

Poor Mum came home in floods of tears. migraine headache and shaking (stress makes her Parkinsons worse).

What an awful, awful day!

Sorry to offlocad like this but I felt I had to get it off my chest and I've no-one else to talk to.

 

[Lucille]

GP told him "you must stop this, your wife cannot cope with you like this, you are making her ill" (dropping us right in it, I suspect Dad despite his problems will manage to work out who reported all this to the GP)

Hello Nebiroth

So sorry to hear about the visit with your dad to the doc's. From what you've said above, the GP seems to have the bedside manner of Dr Crippen. How awful for you and your mum (and dad as well!). Do you think your dad will retain the memory of the GP visit?

Hopefully once the consultant has been to see him, you might get some more support ... might!! When the consultant pscyh came to see my mum, I just said the 'specialist' was coming and left it like that - otherwise mum would have frogmarched everyone out! She too has accused me of wanting to get her locked up in a home. It's a very difficult situation, isn't it.

I hope things settle down a bit with the drugs prescribed. Meantime, keep posting and take care of yourself.

 

[Skye]

What an awful, awful day!

As you say, what an awful, awful day. I hope your poor Mum doesn't suffer too much, you must be so worried about them both.

I can understand your Dad being upset at seeing a psychiatrist, but it just might provide a solution to the aggression/paranoia. There are so many mood-altering drugs these days, and hopefully one will be effective.

In the meantime, it must be so hard to cope with the situation. Don't apologise for posting, we're all here because we need someone who understands.

Tell your Mum I'm thinking of her.

Love

 

[Nebiroth]

Oh don't mistake me - our GP (we all have the same one) is a wonderful man, so kind and understanding. Sadly Dad only seems to respond to doctors etc when they speak "firmly" to him - he has to be told to do this or that and no nonsense because he will otherwise just ignore it or forget it, or both!

Last time the paranoia surfaced we didn't have to resort to medication because Dad listened to the doctor saying it was all the illness affecting his judgement. Worth a try again...

Sadly Dad forgets things we'd like him to remember (like what day it is) but remembers what we'd prefer he forget (like the "evil" neighbours).

Now we just have to wait for the psychiatrist's visit.

As I say it;s unfortunate that he is attached to the local mental health hospital, this carries all sorts of unfortunate connotations as people Dad's age tend to regard it as the local "loony bin" because it's been there so long and in the bad old days was what was known as the "asylum". So it's like having the "men in white coats" coming to see you...

I do know that one of Mum's old friends stayed there with very severe depression not long ago and said it;s a lovely place, totally different, like a hotel with private bedrooms and very caring staff. The friend has since passed away sad to say with a heart-attack.

 

[Nebiroth]

Poor Mum is now being accused of being "disloyal" and "you didn't back me" (how can she - everyone but Dad knows his stories about the neighbours are just paranoid fantasies).

Followed by "I don't shout and swear at you!" (which is exactly what he's doing when he says this).

Followed by "I'm going to draw some money out of the bank and go away by sea to somewhere I can't be found!".

It doesn't get any easier does it?

He's still convinced the doctor is going to have him locked up.

The sad thing is, if this keeps on, then an enforced stay in hospital is looking more likely. Poor Mum says he'll never forgive her if that happens.

 

[Skye]

It doesn't get any easier does it?

Hi Nebiroth

It doesn't, does it? It must be awful for your Mum. (And for you trying to support the both). I don't know what to suggest, just lots of sympathy and hugs.

Love,

 

[Nebiroth]

We were also shocked to discover that Dad has lost nearly two stone in weight since his checkup a year ago. He won't eat for fear of putting on weight and then stuffs himself with chocolates and biscuits.

I do find it pretty poor that after the initial visits we had last year, we are not due to be visited again by the Memory Nurse until April (this marks the year that he's been on Aricept).

I'm sure that the MMSE could have caught a lot of these symptoms early. As I recall there's a big section in the questionnaire for carers that talks about the patient having delusions and/or supisciousness.

 

[Skye]

.

I do find it pretty poor that after the initial visits we had last year, we are not due to be visited again by the Memory Nurse until April (this marks the year that he's been on Aricept).

I'm sure that the MMSE could have caught a lot of these symptoms early. As I recall there's a big section in the questionnaire for carers that talks about the patient having delusions and/or supisciousness.

If you see your Dad's GP and explain how much he has changed, the GP can request a reassessment.

 

[Nebiroth]

I expect that the psychiatrist will do one when he/she visits us. We don't know when this is, yet, but it should be soon.

Our GP is very good, last year we had the consultant visit us within a week of the initial visit to the GP.

I'm just surprised that Dad can be prescribed Aricept and told "see you in a year".

I'd have thought that six-monthly visits would have been in order.

 

[Skye]

We're only seen once a year now. Used to be every six months, but that changed three years ago. Money again!!!!