Have any questions about how to use the community? Check out the Help Discussion.

Hospital stay for medication adjustment?

Richard67
Richard67 Member Posts: 11
5 Care Reactions First Anniversary First Comment
Member
in Caring For a Spouse or Partner

Hello, all. My DW has been in skilled nursing care for several months. She has later-stage Alzheimers but also physical limitations — needs help with eating, toileting, walking on 24/7 basis. She became more agitated and combative in recent weeks so SNC staff said she needed to go to hospital psych unit for medication evaluation and adjustment, at least a week. At hospital (Glen Oaks, near Chicago) she will see doctor every day who will adjust meds better than SNC, supposedly. This sounds good on paper, but DW is very upset and agitated to be in unfamiliar place. Visitation is only 2 hrs a week. Phone calls are unhelpful because DW is not conversational. We are worried this is too much a strain on her. Have others had this experience?

Tagged:

Comments

  • Russinator
    Russinator Member Posts: 381
    Third Anniversary 100 Care Reactions 100 Likes 100 Comments
    Member

    I have and it made all the difference in the world. Last December my DW, after a ten day stay in the Orange County Global Hospital went from threatening kill me, trying to tear our car apart while I was driving 70 MPH on the freeway, jumping out of the car as I was stopped at red light, running up and down the street yelling "help me, he's trying to kill me", running in the street with heavy traffic to get away from me. Running down a residential street banging on doors and yelling "help me, he's trying to kill me". Ten days later I took her home and she's been wonderful - still fighting dementia.

  • BPS
    BPS Member Posts: 543
    500 Likes 500 Care Reactions 500 Comments 250 Insightfuls Reactions
    Member

    I have not had that experience but my wife is in MC and was having delusions that one of the other residents was trying to kill her and her hospice nurse was able to get her medication that helped that. I think it depends on the severity, if your wife's condition is as severe as Russinators you probably have no choice.

  • White Crane
    White Crane Member Posts: 1,246
    Ninth Anniversary 500 Likes 1000 Comments 500 Care Reactions
    Member

    my husband has been in memory care for two years. During that time he has been in geropsych. units for medication evaluation. It has been a tremendous help.

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
Read more

Community Guidelines


Click here to review the ALZConnected Community Guidelines

Categories