Terminal Lucidity?

Klako

My dad fell two months ago. Seemed to have accelerated Alzheimer’s. He pretty much stopped eating since and recently was only drinking very little. This past week he was admitted to hospital with severe dehydration. The dehydration caused his heart rate to accelerate to 130-140 and blood pressure to be lower at 95/60. I made the move to hospice because when they gave home medicine to regulate heart rate that affected blood pressure and if he is not going to drink to keep himself hydrated then it would be a losing battle with the heart. We have withdrawn all medicine and hospice was in yesterday and feels at the rate his heart is beating he should pass in 1-2 weeks.
Yesterday and today he has been up, alert and today it seems and ate a bit and drank. Yesterday he ate a spoonful of pudding and and two spoonfuls of ice cream and asked if we were going home?
He also has stage 5 kidney failure due to the dehydration and has a terrible time swallowing.
I am totally second guessing my decision. Anyone have any insight or experiences like this? What was the outcome?

ARIL

I have not yet reached the point where you are, but I have been reading a lot about hospice lately, since I know it’s coming. It seems that some people improve with hospice care, even to the point that they might go off it. I think you have not made any bad decisions. On the contrary, you have made good choices, and if your dad is having some better days with this care, that’s all to the good.

terei

medical intervention for a PWD, especially one with additional diseases is only prolonging a life with little or no quality. This is my opinion.

SDianeL

You made the right decision. In late stages, PWDs can rally and then decline rapidly. Trust the hospice nurse. I would ask the hospice nurse your questions. I wouldn’t do anything to prolong life at this stage. So sorry.