Why do PWD get so weak so quickly when they get a virus?

Palmetto Peg · June 8

My DH has had some off and on symptoms - he vomited at dinner twice - but a full week apart, and has had some loose bowels. On Wednesday he was fine - went out with his companion and played pool, checkers, etc. Then Wednesday night he vomited at dinner again and had diarrhea twice over night. On Thursday morning, his companion found him on the floor in his room at 8 a.m. - apparently he had tried to get out of bed and just slid onto the floor. No real damage, but he absolutely could not walk or get up without lots of assistance. He had an appointment with his Geri-Psych Thursday afternoon and we took him in a wheelchair. She said it wasn't med related but medical. He is in MC and they immediately ordered blood work and a urinalysis. By Friday he was very lethargic and weaker, so he was sent to the ER. The ER did all the tests and the only thing that came back was adenovirus - basically like a cold. They admitted him for observation, but he is still there and is so weak he is basically bed-ridden. He will be released to sub-acute rehab tomorrow. How does this happen so quickly. From walking and okay to bed-ridden? He is probably late stage 5 dementia - frontotemporal and ALZ. What is his prognosis? Any information you can give me will be so appreciated! Thank you all just for being here!

RetaMeta55 · June 8

Due to their dementia and whatever diagnoses they may have their immune system is compromised. They can easily catch anything that come their way.

Palmetto Peg · June 8

Thank you. It just seemed so sudden - from walking to being unable to do anything. It is so sad to see!

SDianeL · June 9

found this online: Adenovirus infections are a group of illnesses that can cause symptoms ranging from mild cold and flu-like ailments to more serious complications. While they generally resolve on their own,

dementia patients may be at higher risk for experiencing more severe adenovirus infections due to compromised immune systems and underlying health conditions

.

harshedbuzz · June 9

@Palmetto Peg

You don't mention your DH's age, but as an adult child caregiver one thing that strikes me is how quickly the elderly can become seriously ill in general. As we age, our immune systems become weaker and weaker which means our threshold for becoming ill is considerably lower. In addition, we don't respond as well to vaccines leaving us more vulnerable to infections we would have avoided in the past.

I think a piece of this that relates specifically to PWD is handwashing. As incontinence starts to develop, the steps that make up the ADL of toileting (specifically proper handwashing) are often skipped well before there are "accidents". Even at home, a caregiver might not think to wash their LO's hands when changing of before meals. Sometimes it's hard to even get a PWD to shower regularly. Any preschool would line up kids to wash their hands ahead of snack time, but I never saw that in any SNF or MCF I happened to be in.

HB

Palmetto Peg · June 9

My DH is 79 - and you are right about his immune system. He is in Memory Care and they have had several outbreaks of hygiene related issues - scabies for one, and he also had conjunctivitis several times as well as those mites on his eyelashes. When I am there I make sure he washes his hands a lot, and always before dinner, but I am not there all the time. He is double incontinent and has tried to "change" himself more than once and made a total mess. He isn't getting any better, and I know the more time he spends in bed will only make him weaker. He is due to be transferred to skilled nursing today, so I am hoping that will help. Actually, I'm not sure what I hope for. His quality of life is so poor, and in many ways I feel like this is just the start of one infection after another with him getting weaker and weaker. He has a DNR and DNI, and I don't think I will agree to another hospitalization. It just made him more confused and other than a diagnosis of a viral infection, nothing good came of it. This is such a hard stage and I know I will have decisions to make soon. Thank you all for your input!

Pat6177 · June 10

This probably doesn’t apply but just in case…

When my DH was in early 5, I was trying to increase his fluid intake and started giving him instant hot chocolate made with artificial sweeteners. He really liked them and was drinking at least 3 a day, sometimes more. He developed diarrhea and very quickly got so weak he was falling and barely able to walk. I’m sure he was dehydrated. Once I figured out that it was the large amt of artificially sweetened hot chocolate, I switched to the hot chocolate with sugar in it and he was ok. Btw, he had previously used Splenda without any problem.

Had your DH started eating or drinking something different?

Palmetto Peg · June 11

The only difference in his diet was that he now has thickened liquids. He was hospitalized, and is now in a skilled nursing facility. He had a virus and that seems to be what caused the stomach problems. He can't get up or move at all without assistance. It just happened so fast! The facility is sending in OT and PT every day, but I will be surprised if he is ever strong enough again to be able to go back to Memory Care. Thanks to all of you for your input. What a road we are on!

Why do PWD get so weak so quickly when they get a virus?

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