Good morning
My friend's mother is 90, has severe dementia but has been cared for at home until two weeks ago when following what was diagnosed as a chest infection she collapsed and was admitted to hospital. She was diagnosed with several clots in her lungs. He has been told that she is very ill. She has now developed pneumonia and is being treated with antibiotics but the doctor has stopped all her other medication - anxiety, dementia, thyroid and treatment for the clots. My friend was told that is she recovered from the pneumonia, she would not return to the same 'condition' that she was in prior to the infection and that it would leave its mark.
My friend is very distressed as his mother is in an awful condition. Her anxiety and dementia is severe; she is breathless and not mobile. She is not eating, has pulled out the cannulas several times and is now on oral antibiotics but distressed when taking them.
I don't know if anyone can advise, but is my friend able to request that they do not administer the antibiotics? He has POA and feels that this treatment of the pneumonia is now just prolonging her suffering as opposed to improving her quality of life given all the other issues.
Thank you
My friend's mother is 90, has severe dementia but has been cared for at home until two weeks ago when following what was diagnosed as a chest infection she collapsed and was admitted to hospital. She was diagnosed with several clots in her lungs. He has been told that she is very ill. She has now developed pneumonia and is being treated with antibiotics but the doctor has stopped all her other medication - anxiety, dementia, thyroid and treatment for the clots. My friend was told that is she recovered from the pneumonia, she would not return to the same 'condition' that she was in prior to the infection and that it would leave its mark.
My friend is very distressed as his mother is in an awful condition. Her anxiety and dementia is severe; she is breathless and not mobile. She is not eating, has pulled out the cannulas several times and is now on oral antibiotics but distressed when taking them.
I don't know if anyone can advise, but is my friend able to request that they do not administer the antibiotics? He has POA and feels that this treatment of the pneumonia is now just prolonging her suffering as opposed to improving her quality of life given all the other issues.
Thank you