Ida is safely in the nursing home

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Evelyn Ruut - 26 Apr 2004 21:21 GMT

We dropped Ida off at noon today at the local nursing home. The place is
very nice, clean and spacious and apparently very well run. We talked to
social worker, ward nurse/director, admissions person, activities directors,
dietician, and so many people I can't remember them all.

She isn't in that room we looked at the other day, they instead put her in a
different room (two beds) in the bed nearer the bathroom (with my
permission). She has a roommate that seems VERY feisty. That worries me.
The woman is a loudmouth and very argumentative. In Ida's younger days she
would have handled her just fine. Now,.... I don't know. If I see any
trouble I will ask that they move her.

The doctor was not available to talk to us just then, but we can see and
talk to him day after tomorrow. As I understand it, they consider Zoloft
and Risperdol "chemical restraints" ...... and they are going to titrate her
down from current levels before re-deciding what dosages if any she should
be on.

I am OK with it for now, because if they can tolerate the delusional stuff
she is their "baby" now, and they are the professionals. But I don't want
to see Ida in any emotional discomfort either. I will indeed be watching.
Their goal is to get her off any drugs that might impair her motor skills
and allow her to fall even if it means some behavioral stuff.

This place looks for all the world like what has to be the best nursing home
out there. The activities director came to greet her with a bunch of
balloons and everyone spoke to her so kindly and introduced themselves in
such a nice way. Could have been a show for the family's sake, but it
looked real. Even on our first visit there, everyone was super friendly
and upbeat. NOTHING like that horrible place in the city her sister went to
and died in.

They gave Ida lunch and it was amazingly diverse and good. Chicken noodle
soup, a small glass of juice, coffee with Splenda and creamer, a small
container of lowfat milk, meatball sandwich on very soft roll, pudding cup.
She ate quite a bit and surprised us all.

I am numb, feeling emotionally drained, tired, but somewhat relieved. I am
not going there tomorrow, but will come the next day. They promised to
call if there is any problem.

Signature

Regards,
Evelyn

(to reply to me personally, remove 'sox")

Reply to this Message

Tumbleweed - 26 Apr 2004 22:23 GMT

> We dropped Ida off at noon today at the local nursing home. The place is
> very nice, clean and spacious and apparently very well run. We talked to
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> not going there tomorrow, but will come the next day. They promised to
> call if there is any problem.

Welcome back to the rest of your life, I bet you find it strange tonight,
when was the last time you had the chance for an unbroken nights sleep?
I am sure you will *all* be better off.

Signature

Tumbleweed

Remove my socks for email address

Reply to this Message

John Inzer - 27 Apr 2004 01:51 GMT

> We dropped Ida off at noon today at the local nursing
> home. The place is very nice, clean and spacious and
[quoted text clipped - 47 lines]
> will come the next day. They promised to call if there
> is any problem.

========================================
Thanks for the good news. Now you may have an
uninterrupted nights sleep...unless the NH calls at 3 AM.
(yes, it does happen occasionally)

Interesting lunch choices...the only part of it I would eat
as a T2 diabetic trying to maintain weight would be the
Coffee with splenda.

Signature

John Inzer
return e-mail disabled

Reply to this Message

Evelyn Ruut - 27 Apr 2004 02:13 GMT

Hi John,

> Thanks for the good news. Now you may have an
> uninterrupted nights sleep...unless the NH calls at 3 AM.
> (yes, it does happen occasionally)

If they did, I would be amazed.....unless it was a major emergency.... cause
anyway, we didn't place her in a nursing home to be called at 3 am, we would
have kept her here and continued getting up with her all night long
ourselves.

> Interesting lunch choices...the only part of it I would eat
> as a T2 diabetic trying to maintain weight would be the
> Coffee with splenda.

I was sitting with the dietitian at the very moment Ida was eating this
lunch. A very good reason why most diabetics know that dietitians know
diddley squat about our illness. The pudding was made with artificial
sweetener, but even still, the roll, the noodles in the soup, the juice and
even the low fat milk was pretty carby stuff. It could have been
artificially sweetened juice, but I didn't ask. Juice is carby without any
help anyway.

The dietitian insisted that for a diabetic, every single carb was calculated
and measured out so that over the course of a day, she was getting the
"right" diet. I thought it was a rather carby meal myself and I could tell
you for sure that my meter would be cranking if I ate that lunch.

Regards,
Evelyn

Reply to this Message

John Inzer - 27 Apr 2004 03:33 GMT

> Hi John,
>
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
> Regards,
> Evelyn

===================================
Hi,

I certainly have no idea what your NH will do
but we do receive occasional after hours calls
about Rosie. There has not been a major
emergency but the calls are generally to report
a minor fall, combativeness, trying to escape,
etc. I'm guessing it's just a CYA thing in case
we find an unexplained bruise on her. Don't
be surprised if the phone rings.

Adjusting the meals will probably be next to
impossible. The level of ignorance about
Diabetes is staggering. After hearing Dick
Clark on the Larry King show tell the world
that you can eat what you like and only test
once every few weeks...I may as well give up.

No wonder diabetes is a number one cause
of blindness and kidney failure...not to mention
amputations and heart problems.

Have a quiet night's rest :o)

Signature

John Inzer
return e-mail disabled

Reply to this Message

Trish Knight - 27 Apr 2004 04:03 GMT

Dear Evelyn,
I'm so happy and relieved for you and Peter. I'm sure this was just the
hardest thing for you, but I'm praying and believing it will be the best
thing.....for all of you!

Hugs,
Trish

Reply to this Message

turkey in the straw - 27 Apr 2004 04:43 GMT

Evelyn,
So happy to hear it went well.I will say a prayer for you and get a
good sleep tonight.Barb

Reply to this Message

turkey in the straw - 27 Apr 2004 06:00 GMT

My mom is on 2.5mgs.zyprexa,50 mgs.zoloft and 20mgs. namenda and her
doctor will not up the dose even though my moms dilusions are getting
worse since starting namenda.I am considering taking her off the
namenda.Between 4pm and 8pm or so she is awful.To the point of getting
her shoes on cause she is walkng home.We live with her in her home of 50
yrs.Yelling cause her husband won't come get her.Calling me names that
are not repeatable.It has gotten sooooo much worse since the addition of
namenda.Any suggestions,PLEASE,Barb

Reply to this Message

Tumbleweed - 27 Apr 2004 06:54 GMT

> My mom is on 2.5mgs.zyprexa,50 mgs.zoloft and 20mgs. namenda and her
> doctor will not up the dose even though my moms dilusions are getting
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> are not repeatable.It has gotten sooooo much worse since the addition of
> namenda.Any suggestions,PLEASE,Barb

Ask your mothers doctor directly how he intends to prevent this behaviour,
and if he wont take action (maybe there are other medicines rather than an
increased dose of zyprexa or zoloft?), get another doctor. have you asked
him straight out why he wont increase it?

btw, its 'delusions' :-)

Signature

Tumbleweed

Remove my socks for email address

Reply to this Message

Dennis P. Harris - 27 Apr 2004 10:14 GMT

> It has gotten sooooo much worse since the addition of
> namenda.Any suggestions,PLEASE,Barb

CHANGE DOCTORS.

Reply to this Message

Evelyn Ruut - 27 Apr 2004 11:30 GMT

Barb, I would get another doctor. This one does not realize what you are
dealing with. I surely do.

Signature

Regards,
Evelyn

(to reply to me personally, remove 'sox")

Reply to this Message

Darryl - 28 Apr 2004 02:54 GMT

>My mom is on 2.5mgs.zyprexa,50 mgs.zoloft and 20mgs. namenda and her
>doctor will not up the dose even though my moms dilusions are getting
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>are not repeatable.It has gotten sooooo much worse since the addition of
>namenda.Any suggestions,PLEASE,Barb

Hi Barb,

Forgive me if you've addressed this in the past, but you didn't
indicate an AD drug like Aricept (a so-called acetylcholinesterase
inhibitor). Was this simply an omission or...? Also, how long ago
did she start on Namenda? If I recall correctly, several recent
anecdotes here have suggested that late addition of Namenda can lead
to the 'side-effects' that you've noted.

Like everyone else has suggested, either approach your doctor again or
get a second opinion--preferably from someone whom specializes in
geriatric medicine (in Canada, we have a Gertiatric Assessment Unit).

When my Dad became agitated, he was prescribed Ativan (or lorazepam, a
benzodiazepine) although it is very sedating.

Darryl.

Reply to this Message

turkey in the straw - 28 Apr 2004 04:50 GMT

Darryl,
Yes she does take aricept also.She is on her second month of namenda.

Reply to this Message

deedimples - 27 Apr 2004 14:20 GMT

Evelyn,

I'm very happy for you. You will a sense of loss, not having Ida there, but
you also see in time, it's the best thing you could have done.

It seems like Ida has accepted her new home and that's a good thing. It
puts your mind at ease. As time passes you will come to know everyone and
the staff does know their jobs, but you still must be there to make sure
they do it. I have come across a few that need reminders, how to treat my
mom. They all don't understand the complicated history of my mom's health,
but they are learning.

It's almost a year, since we put my mom in her new home and the time goes by
so fast. My mom will be 75 in a few weeks and after her stroke
5 years ago, the doctors said, "Live each day like the Last One". The
doctors didn't have much hope that she would be around this long.
The last fall and injuring her eye, I thought she couldn't pull through
another trauma to her fragile body. With the lost of the sight in the right
eye, she still continues to amaze us all. She is unbreakable.

have a good day,
Dianne

Reply to this Message