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Is palliative care a good option for someone with dementia?

Rlane
Rlane Member Posts: 7
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in Caring For a Spouse or Partner
My wife is in AL, recently moved from MC. She was aggressive and refused medication or seeing a doctor. I'm hoping to bring her home in a month, she is doing well on the meds in the facility. Is palliative care a good option?

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  • Dio
    Dio Member Posts: 712
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    Curious as to why you moved her from MC to AL. If she's aggressive and refusing medication or seeing a doctor, why are you bringing her home in a month? Then you say "she is doing well on the meds in the facility" … so which is it? Then you are inquiring whether palliative care is a good option. Why are you considering palliative care?

  • SDianeL
    SDianeL Member Posts: 967
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    If she has Dementia or Alzheimer's she should be in Memory Care in my opinion. Things can change quickly so I would not bring her home. She can get Palliative care in a facility.

  • Rlane
    Rlane Member Posts: 7
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    https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/224189#Comment_224189

    I’m sorry, my question was a bit confusing. My wife was moved to memory care after being in the hospital because of aggression. She became verbally and physically abusive at home. She did well in the medication in MC but could not communicate with the other residents. Her dementia is not as advanced as the others. Her doctor along with the staff decided she may do better with the residents in AL. She was moved this week. I would like to bring her home at the end of the month to try palliative care in our home. Any thoughts about this would be helpful.

  • Quilting brings calm
    Quilting brings calm Member Posts: 2,477
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    You’ve actually got several things going on here. You describe your wife as being aggressive/abusive and resistant to medication at home. Better on medication and an MC- doing so well that she was moved to an AL.

    My questions to you ( in no real order):

    1. If you move her home- would she revert to her earlier behavior at home - refusing the medication and becoming aggressive/abusive again.?
    2. Has someone told you that a few weeks stay in an AL is all she needs? Because that’s not even enough time to adjust to the AL.
    3. Palliative care is comfort care for someone not eligible for hospice care - or someone who refuses to admit they are terminal. It’s got nothing to do with being home vs an AL or MC.

    4. Were you able to care for her at home before she want to the hospital? Because Regardkess iif whether she is on palliative care or not, you will still be at the same level ( or higher) of caregiving as you were before. Are you able to continue to do that? Should you maybe leave her where she is rather than move her home and then move her again later?

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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