Deciding to use medications.. please advise

Elshack

MY DH fell again in memory care and he injured his forehead and elbow. The hospice nurse used steri strips to stop the bleeding and gave him a morphine pill for pain. They said his head and elbow are bandaged. The hospice nurse asked me what I wanted to do if and when he gets an infection, UTI etc. Do I want them to use antibiotics which could prolong life ? I had said I did not want to prolong life but I would not want him to suffer any pain.

He is 93 and has been in memory care for over a year. He has fallen at least 10 x during that time. Do any medical people here like M1 know if morphine helps the pain caused by infection or if the time comes should I choose antibiotics? I am an emotional wreck waiting for the end to come yet dreading it. At this point he does not have an infection.

M1

Elshack yes, morphine will help the pain no matter what the cause. I think you are making absolutely the right decision. The only question that matters is whether he's comfortable. Morphine, oxygen, ativan, tylenol (for fever) are all quite helphul in this setting.

I wish you peace and comfort, both of you.

Ed1937

Elshack, I'm sorry you have to make a decision like this, but I agree that it is the right one. When my wife was in her last hours, her organs were shutting down, and she was in pain. She had an order for morphine every four hours, but after an hour she was obviously in pain again. I told the nurse to get in touch with the doctor because it didn't matter if she got it every 15 minutes at that point in the game. She was given a morphine drip, and she passed very peacefully hours later. I hope I go the same way.

At some point we're all going to go. I think the best we can hope for is that it is pain free.

Beachfan

When Hospice was engaged for DH, he was suffering from aspiration pneumonia. For 3 1/2 days, prior to his passing, he was administered oxygen, morphine, ativan, and Tylenol as needed- - (exactly what M1 mentioned.). Prior to Hospice, he took no medications . He was comfortable, peaceful, pain free. Losing him was crushing, but Hospice care and their recommendations eased the burden. May all of us be so fortunate. Stay strong.