Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
You make some excellent points. It's so easy for people to assume it's just the dementia getting worse.
What surprises me is that even in a very nice ALF we have to constantly remind the staff to check for UTIs - every time we've demanded they check for one, she's had one.
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I've been writing this on here for probably a year. It's SOOOOO frustrating.
Then your ALF is gonna say "well they are ALL teetering on the brink of dehydration and UTIs".
THAT's when you need to start looking at memory care. Do not wait too long.
In an ALF you probably have to get her doctor to write the order.
It took me MONTHS to get my client's doc to agree to a monthly test. THEN he prescribed a "prophylactic" low dose antibiotic which just messes everything up WORSE.
And in her case an agency had to come in to do the catch and send it out and follow up for the results. NOT the ALF because that is not part of their job. And I agree with them on that. Especially with a dementia patient. Maybe one of the extended care licensed ones would, though.
Although sometimes the nurse or CNAs would help if the timing was right.
A tip is to remove the toilet paper before the catch. It took us a month to think of that LOL.
Another tip NO STRAWS. I saw that on Bar Rescue that people drink less with one straw so the guy told the bar owner to always give TWO.
That day I threw all my clients straws out and she drank more and didn't choke as much, ether.
And NO multiple pills at once, because she'll drink more with one at a time if you can get her to do that.
You also need to worry about aspiration with dementia. Not just because it happens regularly but from the dehydration.
IF she's dehydrated her lips and tongue will be all sticky and she'll choke easily.
That happened to my client right before my eyes after I was complaining like a lunatic about needing fluids for many days. A simple bag of fluids would make such a difference. I even get her dog that regularly and it's keeping her alive and peppy.
These people just don't LISTEN or CARE, TBH. They are stupid and think dehydration is "normal." Well, willfully IGNORANT because that means more WORK. They even used to make my client use a THREE OZ cup for NINE PILLS instead of her large 16 oz and make her take several at once. NO!!!
Even my client's DOCTOR looked the client's daughter right in the face and said that. IDIOT. "Part of the dementia process".
Especially the concierge doctors because they have to EAT alot of the costs under the contract.
I told the daughter hey if we want to kill her there are easier ways than this. I was desperately trying to find SOMETHING to get her attention.
She finally couldn't even sit up straight all hunched over catatonic and entered the hospital with the aspiration, UTI, then they found kidney failure AND two recent strokes. OH and leukemia perhaps.
ALL THE WHILE THE DOCTOR WAS SAYING "PART OF THE DEMENTIA PROCESS".
NO. It was actually the SEROQUEL that he prescribed that made her incapable of walking and eating and drinking properly Because she was getting combative. Because of a UTI!!! And this clown is not even a psychiatrist and had no business prescribing it.
She deteriorated quickly in rehab and is now in Memory Care in a wheel chair. She was AMBULATORY before this last event. It happened overnight after the first week of SEROQUEL. That she didn't need. She got qualified for hospice so at least she has some more extended private care from that agency. And a private caregiver the family pays.
If your mom is choke-y - ask her doc about Thick It. Have her swallowing evaluated. Get her on a regular UTI test schedule and FLUIDS!!!!
For our dogs with megaesophagus we also use clear gelatin for water intake.
AFter a certain point you CANNOT MAKE UP THE WATER by drinking, you need a bag of FLUIDS!
It's no SECRET. THey just don't want to be bothered and wait until an ER admission and let THEM do it.