| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Annab |
Posted - Feb 04 2009 : 06:29:20 AM
I posted a little blurb in another forum but wanted to pass this along to the prayer warriors:
My dad and mom are traveling back to Ohio today.
Dad's older brother has been in a home for 4 years. Bruce has dimentia, (can't remember todo much at all really) but is still a little coherent enough to know he hates being there and is mad at my dad for having him in the home. He has stopped eating for some time now, and despite being offered many meals throughout the day, he is refusing to eat and continues to loose weight at an alarming rate. He just sits in a wheel chair and does nothing all day.
One solution may be to sedate him long term and insert a gastric tube, but this is certainly no quality of life either. Without sedation, Bruce will rip the tube out. He also wears an adult diaper, and would probably get the insertion site infected.
Getting old is not fair, and I wish we could all just check out in our sleep when the time comes and spare loved ones this kind of anguish.
Thanks ladies
Dad has some tough decisions to make. |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Lainey |
Posted - Feb 07 2009 : 08:13:15 AM
Anna, I will continue to keep your family in my prayers. Something you said is so true and is going on with us now. The nursing home that my mom is/was in for her rehab has the same problem, my mom is supposed to leave the hospital today and go back there. The limited staff is just so overwhelmed with patients they can't do their jobs properly. There's just not even of them to cope. At first we thought it was neglect when something had happened in my mom's case, but they are doing the best they can.
Hospice is a blessing I think. They did such a wonderful job with my grandfather and helped out my father and aunt so much. I'm glad your uncle is getting more individualized attention now. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Hug!
Farmgirl Sister #25
http://countrygirldreams.blogspot.com/
An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.' |
| Annab |
Posted - Feb 07 2009 : 03:28:59 AM
The folks got back into NC last night.
The visit w/ my uncle was productive but sad.
Since Christmas he has lost 15 pounds
Loss of interest in food Dad thinks, is because Bruse may be loosing his will to live.
Thank goodness he'll be receiving nursung care more frequently and will have a little more 1 on 1 time. And that could be a part of it too. We all know sometimes in these homes, people are left to themselves simply because of staffing. It's pretty sad. I'm not talking about neglect, just not enough individualized attention for long enough.
So Dad seems to think we could all be making the trip back to Columbus a week from now or a year from now. We'll just take it day by day.
Thanks ladies |
| Annab |
Posted - Feb 05 2009 : 4:09:26 PM
Thank you ladies.
My dad's brother is in his upper 60's. He basically has the mental capacity of a 12 year old. Was the result of a forceps delivery long ago. Strange as it seems, he also drove a car way back when thanks to a photographic memory.
But sadly, Bruce is just slipping. call it dimentia or whatever. A few years back Dad visited and saw that Bruce was forgettng to eat. There was weeks worth of trash and uneaten food all over. There was more too, but not enough space here for it all.
Better news today was Hospice had been called before Dad had to make that decision and was there at the home when my folks arrived. Bruce still isn't eating.
Half of that may be because he is mad, other half could be no interest or just can't remember.
I wonder if his sense of taste has gone.
Thanks again and keep prayin' please! At this time perhaps for strength for my dad most of all.
As soon as I get news I'll be sure to post.
Pretty sad for someone who used to love to eat.
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| Lainey |
Posted - Feb 04 2009 : 08:55:37 AM
Anna, I'm sorry your family is going through this. It's very hard on everyone involved I know. Our family went through something similiar not long ago. I will keep you all in my prayers.
(((Hugs)))
Farmgirl Sister #25
http://countrygirldreams.blogspot.com/
An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.' |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Feb 04 2009 : 08:45:19 AM
Anna, I will certainly be praying for this situation. Not an easy one for sure. Is he doing this just because he's mad and doesn't want to be there or is he just not wanting to live anymore? How old is he? I am so sorry he's going through all this. And your dad too, i'm sure, is going through alot.
Hugs, Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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