Caring for the elderly.

[justjulia]

Well, here''s hoping for the best.
It''s a process, isn''t it?
I hope she has a good night on her first dose.

 

[turtledazzle]

Date: 4/3/2008 1:38:01 PM
Author: Ellen
Well, I just got back from taking my mom to her neurologist. She had an MRI, EEG, and bloodwork for Thyroid and vitamin deficiencies a couple months ago, to help determine what might be causing her deteriorating memory. All came back fine, which I knew several weeks ago. What he then had to say, I pretty much suspected, I don''t think my mom did . Of course, he had to say this was not a definitive diagnosis, because there isn''t one, but in light of all her test results, his guess is that she is in the very early stages of Alzheimers.

He explained that she was still in a very good place mentally (I think he''s giving her a tad more credit, but then he doesn''t deal with her to truly know), and that if she started a medication to halt the loss, she could very well keep it in check for a few years. He said 85% of people who try the meds have success, with at least one good year, many have more, and noted one had seven. So while I didn''t ask, my guess is 2-4 years might be an average. Nothing works forever. There are some GI side affects, hope that''s not an issue. But if it is, we can try another script that comes in a patch, bypassing the GI tract.

So, I am just praying the med agrees with her, and works. We shall see.

Hi Ellen,

I''ve been lurking on these pages, not really sure if I wanted to participate yet or not, but this post made me come out of lurkdom.

I''m so sorry for your Mom''s diagnosis of probable Alzheimers. My own mother was diagnosed with a different form of dementia (Lewy Body Disease) in February. She has a lot history of mental illness in addition, but has been living a pretty good independent life. I started noticing a lot of forgetfulness in November/December, and she started getting really confused about the day of the week/time of day and started over-medicating herself (we used one of those medication dispensers with the days written on them ... but she forgot what day it was ... even though she has an atomic clock that we gave her that tells the time of day).

Any way, there were lots of other signs of problems I won''t go into, so we had neurocognitive testing done that concluded likely Lewy Body Disease. She started Aricept in February and after two weeks on the medicine, she has had sooooo many more good days than bad. Really, that medication has really helped her, so I am hopeful that it will help your mother as well.

Also, just for general information, my mom''s memory problems came on a little after her PCP put her on Detrol. When I took Mom to her psychiatrist for the memory problems, the first thing he did was remove the Detrol. Apparently it can cause a lot of memory and confusion issues in the elderly. Removing the Detrol, however, did not stop the problems -- so I don''t know if it necessarily caused problems or just hastened the progression ... but I wish she had never been prescribed it.

 

[turtledazzle]

Date: 4/3/2008 5:50:57 PM
Author: justjulia
Are you using a ''pill box'' yet? You know, the kind that has M, T, W, Th, F on snap top connected boxes? That was a lifesaver for us. That way, mom knew if she''d taken it yet. (found at any drugstore) I think dh''s mother uses the kind that comes already packaged by the pharmacy with peel/punch foil tops.

ETA: I took a sharpee and wrote my own times meds were due, etc on the box tops for my mother. Every Wednesday I would restock the whole thing for the next week.

Regarding medicine dispensers, as I just posted we''ve been using those snap top boxes for years with my mother without too many problems. However, more recently she gets confused with the day of the week or time of day, so these snap top boxes weren''t working for us any more.

There are few automated medication dispensers out there. We wanted one that was portable so that she could take it with her when she goes to visit my brother. We chose the Med-Time medication dispenser, and it has been a life-saver for us. Seriously -- the alarm goes off and she knows to just get up and take her medicine. This also prevents her from double- (or triple-) dosing, which had become our big worry. Without this, I don''t think my mom would be able to live on her own any more. Any way, I just wanted to put this information on here if anyone else is having this problem. Med-time Medication Dispenser

 

[Ellen]

turtle, thank you, and thank you for your helpful post. I will definitely remember that Med-Dispenser. Nifty!

I am sorry to hear about your mother as well, I''ve never heard of that form of dementia. And I''m thrilled to hear the Aricept actually helped her, as we were told it would not help my mother per se, but it would (if it works) stop the progression of her memory loss. I''m sorry about the other med your mom was on, I hate wondering about things like that, but nothing you can do. Just be grateful she''s off it now, and seems to be doing well. That''s good news!

Thanks again, and please don''t hesitate to post, for whatever reason, that''s why we''re here.

 

[turtledazzle]

Date: 4/3/2008 8:41:40 PM
Author: Ellen
turtle, thank you, and thank you for your helpful post. I will definitely remember that Med-Dispenser. Nifty!

I am sorry to hear about your mother as well, I've never heard of that form of dementia. And I'm thrilled to hear the Aricept actually helped her, as we were told it would not help my mother per se, but it would (if it works) stop the progression of her memory loss. I'm sorry about the other med your mom was on, I hate wondering about things like that, but nothing you can do. Just be grateful she's off it now, and seems to be doing well. That's good news!

Thanks again, and please don't hesitate to post, for whatever reason, that's why we're here.

Ellen,

We were told the exact same thing -- that the Aricept would not reverse any problems, just slow the progression of her symptoms. However, there is a thing called Sundown Syndrome that occurs in many with dementia. Basically, confusion and memory problems get a lot worse in the evenings. After being on the Aricept for a couple of weeks, my mom's "sundown" symptoms really decreased. She's still having some memory problems and confusion, but the frequency is a LOT less after the Aricept. So ... I hope it helps your mother, too. My mom is also taking the Aricept at night and so far, so good (few if any GI side effects). She also started with a sample packet from the Dr. with the lower dose for four weeks and then a higher dose to see if she could tolerate it. She's been on the higher dose for about two weeks now and things seem fine.

I had also never heard of Lewy Body Disease (LBD) until I started researching my mom's symptoms (I am a biomedical researcher so researching is what I do). Our first fear was Alzheimer's but the symptoms didn't quite fit -- but then I read about LBD and thought that would be the "diagnosis". In the follow-up meeting with the neurocognitive physician, I brought up LBD before he mentioned it and was he shocked that I knew about it. Apparently, however, they know believe that LBD is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's. All dementia types are horrid, but LBD has both mental and physical components so it can be truly devastating. Thankfully, my mom's physical symptoms are not really pronounced yet ... and who knows, maybe they won't get bad. I am trying to think positively but still be realistic. We were told Mom could maybe continue living on her own for about a year (she's only 71 ... and I'm only 32 -- I was a "later life" child), but there are no real predictions with dementia progression. The next step is difficult since she has no money (lives paycheck to paycheck from Social Security), and assisted living care is really expensive and is not covered under Medicare/Medicaid. You don't want to send someone to a nursing home while they are still somewhat indepedent, but the cost of assisted living is very prohibitive.

Any way, I'm rambling on a bit but finally wanted to share. Ellen, thank you for starting this thread. It is good to hear stories from others, and know we're "human" when we feel guilty, resentful, etc. I love my mom dearly, but these past few years (since we moved my mom to our city) have been difficult to say the least.

 

[Ellen]

turtle, I really do think that is so great that the med has helped her as it has. And yes, I''m familiar with Sundown Syndrome. My MIL had Alzheimers, so some stuff I do know about. I know she was on a med too, but don''t know what it was. And to me, I never saw her level off, just gradually get worse.

I just don''t want to get my hopes up "too" high yet, yanno? Only time will tell.

Thanks for sharing, drop in anytime. I do know how much it helps to talk, especially with those who really get it.

And hang in there!

 

[Ellen]

I have a question for those who know someone who has taken Aricept. Did they have any of the side affects? and if so, did they eventually deminish?

I was with my mom Friday morning, and she mentioned she had to sort of push herself to eat breakfast. So unlike my mom, so I assume it''s the med. I know loss of appetite is a side affect. At 5''6" she only weighs 112 now, nothing to lose. Then I spoke with her last night, after a letter came from a naturopath she saw Friday. It was a printout out on the drug, she was interested in the side affects. She is also experiencing leg cramps, both day and night, and she says her vision is worse, although blurred vision is not listed in side affects. She has Macular Degeneration, and uses her peripheral vision to still see finer details. Where she could make out features on a persons face before, she says now they''re half blurred.

I am going to call her neurologist tomorrow, to ask him how long it could take for these to dissipate, if they do, but I also wanted to hear from others as well.

 

[justjulia]

Ellen, I wish I had some answers for you. I think you''re doing the right thing calling the neurologist. With these symptoms with the lower dose, how will this change when she gets up to the regular dose? I can''t recall what side effects went on with dh''s mother-10 yrs ago. I sure hope all this is within expectancy for getting started. What a pia.
So sorry.

 

[Ellen]

Thanks julia.

I knew going into this, that not only were the side affects a potential problem, my mother and how she would react in general was as well. She has always been hypersensitive to most drugs, so not being able to tolerate them for whatever reason was a real possibilty.

And you raise a great point with the increased dosage. We''ll have to see what the doc says.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 4/6/2008 11:59:12 AM
Author: Ellen
Thanks julia.


I knew going into this, that not only were the side affects a potential problem, my mother and how she would react in general was as well. She has always been hypersensitive to most drugs, so not being able to tolerate them for whatever reason was a real possibilty.


And you raise a great point with the increased dosage. We''ll have to see what the doc says.

I''ve been googling for side effects. I didn''t realize there were so many possible. I''m reading things like diarrhea, vision problems, leg cramps, etc. I wonder how long it lasts or if it''s indefinite? I hope someone here can chime in. I wonder if you should start an entire new thread on side effects of aricept? You might get more (and immediate) traffic. (?)

 

[Ellen]

I''ve been reading some too, and yes, a lot are listed, but only a handful as most common. And I''ve seen this with many other drugs as well. They have to list every single thing, even though many might not occur very often at all.

I may start a new thread, but I''ll wait til I speak with her doc.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 4/6/2008 12:18:19 PM
Author: Ellen
I''ve been reading some too, and yes, a lot are listed, but only a handful as most common. And I''ve seen this with many other drugs as well. They have to list every single thing, even though many might not occur very often at all.


I may start a new thread, but I''ll wait til I speak with her doc.

What I was reading were personal accounts. It seems the most prevalent is leg cramps and diarrhea. Especially diarrhea. Ugh.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 4/6/2008 12:25:46 PM
Author: justjulia


What I was reading were personal accounts. It seems the most prevalent is leg cramps and diarrhea. Especially diarrhea. Ugh.

Hmmm. And ugh is right.

I don''t know, I''ve sat here thinking about all of this, the side affects vs. not taking the meds. It really comes down to the lesser of two evils in a way, at least to me. But I''m certainly not going to tell her which to choose, that''s her decison, should they continue.

 

[bebe]

Date: 4/6/2008 12:45:12 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 4/6/2008 12:25:46 PM

Author: justjulia



What I was reading were personal accounts. It seems the most prevalent is leg cramps and diarrhea. Especially diarrhea. Ugh.

Hmmm. And ugh is right.


I don''t know, I''ve sat here thinking about all of this, the side affects vs. not taking the meds. It really comes down to the lesser of two evils in a way, at least to me. But I''m certainly not going to tell her which to choose, that''s her decison, should they continue.

Ellen, my mom took Namenda for over 4 years. It too is a Dementia/Alzheimer drug. As far as we knew, she suffered no side effects. I hope the Aricept helps your mom. My mom''s doc took her off the Namenda because he felt there should have been some kind of visible change or at least a leveling off of her dementia after 3-6 mos. of starting the drug. She was on it for so long, with her family physician being the doc that prescribed it. Apparently he didn''t know (or care to know!) how the drug worked.
She only progessively got worse, so we now know the Namenda didn''t help. So her new Neuro Dr. took her off. On a scale 1-10 for Alzheimers, she is probably a 7.

I have read some doctors prescribe a "cocktail" of dementia drugs, prescribing both Aricept and Namenda. Some posters on the Alzheimer''s caregivers forum report good things from the drug combinations. I only wish my mom''s family doc knew about this before she was so far into the disease that the drugs were worthless.

If my mom had any side effects, she wouldn''t know to tell us. I have heard promising results from Aricept and Namenda, if given early enough it seems to slow the progress of the disease. Best of luck with this for your mom and you.

 

[Ellen]

bebe, I''m sorry it didn''t work for your mom. And thank you for your thoughts, only time will tell I guess.

 

[justjulia]

Alright Missy, I''m waiting to hear what the neurologist says today. Aricept has been around a while and surely they have seen this scenario before and can do something tried and true about it. (However, that is how I felt about morphine, and well..) What I went through was it seemed that pretty much whenever we got one problem solved, another was waiting. Like keeping weight up, swallowing big pills, sores (the lung cancer med had great side effects like boils and diarrhea--as a matter of fact, I was told that when the side effects subsided that I would know that the med had lost its effect), insomnia, swollen ankles, etc.

Basically, we had good days and not so good days.

I hope you hear some comforting news today.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 4/7/2008 9:26:41 AM
Author: justjulia
Alright Missy, I''m waiting to hear what the neurologist says today. Aricept has been around a while and surely they have seen this scenario before and can do something tried and true about it. (However, that is how I felt about morphine, and well..) What I went through was it seemed that pretty much whenever we got one problem solved, another was waiting. Like keeping weight up, swallowing big pills, sores (the lung cancer med had great side effects like boils and diarrhea--as a matter of fact, I was told that when the side effects subsided that I would know that the med had lost its effect), insomnia, swollen ankles, etc.

Basically, we had good days and not so good days.

I hope you hear some comforting news today.

Well, your wait is over. And so is the medication. I called her to find out how everything was going and she has already stopped taking it. She said she wasn''t willing to give up what little life she had left (vision wise) for the possible benefit of the med. Apparently it was really affecting her vision. And I can''t argue with that, and her decision, I''m just sad it didn''t work.

I then called and spoke with her doc''s nurse. She said the side affects would not go away, if anything they would get worse.

My mom, being the health nut she is, and with her intense aversion to meds, is alreay searching for an "alternative" treatment. I personally doubt there is anything out there to help, but it''s her life and her decision....

She has an appt. in 6 months with her doc, and she said at that time, if she hadn''t found anything to help, she might reconsider the meds. And there is a different one she can take, which I will remind her about now, but I seriously doubt she would try taking it at this time.

*sigh*

Thanks for your thoughts julia.

 

[Heidi137]

My 80 year old MIL has been taking Aricept for years and seems to have few side effects. I do think it has caused a decrease in appetite but that might be caused by the dementia itself. She does have a constant runny nose (which she attributes to allergies) which might be related to the Aricept. My MIL has macular holes in both eyes (and is blind in one eye due to her husband not getting her to a doctor in time for surgery for a detached retina) and has pretty significant cataracts. The retina specialist wants to wait until the cataract is really bad due to the possibility of her losing sight in her only eye if something goes awry with the surgery. I am really amazed at how well she does physically considering the fact that she takes about ten different prescriptions and has had bypass surgery and carotid artery surgery in the past. Her dementia seems to have stabiized but it''s still pretty bad. My husband is an only child and since his father passed away, he has sole responsibility for his mom. She''s a full-time job. She has never been an easy person to deal with and has always been unhappy, so you can imagine what she''s like now. Her mother lived for ten years in a nursing home with dementia...

 

[turtledazzle]

Date: 4/7/2008 10:19:20 AM
Author: Ellen
Well, your wait is over. And so is the medication. I called her to find out how everything was going and she has already stopped taking it. She said she wasn''t willing to give up what little life she had left (vision wise) for the possible benefit of the med. Apparently it was really affecting her vision. And I can''t argue with that, and her decision, I''m just sad it didn''t work.

I then called and spoke with her doc''s nurse. She said the side affects would not go away, if anything they would get worse.

My mom, being the health nut she is, and with her intense aversion to meds, is alreay searching for an ''alternative'' treatment. I personally doubt there is anything out there to help, but it''s her life and her decision....

She has an appt. in 6 months with her doc, and she said at that time, if she hadn''t found anything to help, she might reconsider the meds. And there is a different one she can take, which I will remind her about now, but I seriously doubt she would try taking it at this time.

*sigh*

Thanks for your thoughts julia.

Ellen,

So sorry that you mom had such bad side effects. My mom doesn''t seem to be having too many -- she does have some leg pain but most in the one leg that she fractured a few months ago, so I don''t *think* the Aricept is a culprit there. She hasn''t told us about any vision problems either.

Regarding the other drug, is it Exelon? That was the other option for my mother. They chose Aricept first because it seems to have less side effects than the Exelon, but of course the side effects vary from person to person. Your mom could do much better on it.

Thoughts with you.

 

[Ellen]

Heidi, I'm glad the med seemed to have worked a bit for your MIL, some is better than nothing. The decrease in appetite could definitely be from it, anorexia is a side affect, and mom was to get her weight and BP taken in 4 weeks to make sure she wasn't losing, she literally has nothing to lose at 112.

I feel for your hubby. While I have a brother and sister, they're both out of town. So as far as caring for my mom, I might as well be an only child.



turtle, thank you.

They did mention Exelon, as well as Namenda. And that's the one (Namenda) the nurse suggested this morning we could try when and if mom is ever ready. It comes in a patch, and is totally different from the Aricept.

 

[justjulia]

Ellen,

Wow, a lot has happened today. Okay, good point, that it is her life after all. Hey, and it might be therapeutic for her to do some of her own research (bless her heart, all that preventative care with vitamins and such). I remember seeing on tv a discussion involving a woman who was refusing to take anything to help her bones, saying she did so much physical exercise which was supposed to take care of it. They were telling her that everyone becomes susceptible no matter what they do and that taking the supplement would make it less of a fracture when she fell, considering the mountains she was climbing anyway.

What if the nurse or doctor calls her personally to discuss the Namenda (hope I said that correctly)? Remember, we as "only child daughters" cannot have the last word, or did you forget?

You are doing all you can.

Times like these call for a big glass of chocolate milk and a Glamour magazine. Whatever it takes to chill, for you!

Darn.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 4/7/2008 11:03:46 AM
Author: Heidi137
My 80 year old MIL has been taking Aricept for years and seems to have few side effects. I do think it has caused a decrease in appetite but that might be caused by the dementia itself. She does have a constant runny nose (which she attributes to allergies) which might be related to the Aricept. My MIL has macular holes in both eyes (and is blind in one eye due to her husband not getting her to a doctor in time for surgery for a detached retina) and has pretty significant cataracts. The retina specialist wants to wait until the cataract is really bad due to the possibility of her losing sight in her only eye if something goes awry with the surgery. I am really amazed at how well she does physically considering the fact that she takes about ten different prescriptions and has had bypass surgery and carotid artery surgery in the past. Her dementia seems to have stabiized but it''s still pretty bad. My husband is an only child and since his father passed away, he has sole responsibility for his mom. She''s a full-time job. She has never been an easy person to deal with and has always been unhappy, so you can imagine what she''s like now. Her mother lived for ten years in a nursing home with dementia...

Heidi,

Here''s a big *hug*. Is she in a nursing home?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 4/7/2008 1:42:05 PM
Author: justjulia
Ellen,

Wow, a lot has happened today. Okay, good point, that it is her life after all. Hey, and it might be therapeutic for her to do some of her own research (bless her heart, all that preventative care with vitamins and such). I remember seeing on tv a discussion involving a woman who was refusing to take anything to help her bones, saying she did so much physical exercise which was supposed to take care of it. They were telling her that everyone becomes susceptible no matter what they do and that taking the supplement would make it less of a fracture when she fell, considering the mountains she was climbing anyway.

What if the nurse or doctor calls her personally to discuss the Namenda (hope I said that correctly)? Remember, we as 'only child daughters' cannot have the last word, or did you forget?

You are doing all you can.

Times like these call for a big glass of chocolate milk and a Glamour magazine. Whatever it takes to chill, for you!

Darn.

Yeah, and look where it got her, legally blind and Alzheimer's....So much for all that heathy stuff.

I appreciate the suggestion of having the doc talk to her, but I know my mother all too well. She won't entertain that thought til she's searched the ends of the earth for an alternative. And of course I have not forgotten I will never have the last word, or pretty much any word for that matter.

And I did one better than the chocie milk and mag. We drove up the river yesterday to a bar that has a huge deck built out over the water. We sat in the sun, drank a few cold ones, listened to some really good music, and watched the boats go by. It worked, and will work again.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 4/7/2008 4:27:27 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 4/7/2008 1:42:05 PM

Author: justjulia

Ellen,


Wow, a lot has happened today. Okay, good point, that it is her life after all. Hey, and it might be therapeutic for her to do some of her own research (bless her heart, all that preventative care with vitamins and such). I remember seeing on tv a discussion involving a woman who was refusing to take anything to help her bones, saying she did so much physical exercise which was supposed to take care of it. They were telling her that everyone becomes susceptible no matter what they do and that taking the supplement would make it less of a fracture when she fell, considering the mountains she was climbing anyway.


What if the nurse or doctor calls her personally to discuss the Namenda (hope I said that correctly)? Remember, we as ''only child daughters'' cannot have the last word, or did you forget?

You are doing all you can.


Times like these call for a big glass of chocolate milk and a Glamour magazine. Whatever it takes to chill, for you!


Darn.

Yeah, and look where it got her, legally blind and Alzheimer''s....So much for all that heathy stuff.


I appreciate the suggestion of having the doc talk to her, but I know my mother all too well. She won''t entertain that thought til she''s searched the ends of the earth for an alternative. And of course I have not forgotten I will never have the last word, or pretty much any word for that matter.

And I did one better than the chocie milk and mag. We drove up the river yesterday to a bar that has a huge deck built out over the water. We sat in the sun, drank a few cold ones, listened to some really good music, and watched the boats go by. It worked, and will work again.

"and will work again." Heard that!
Music, water, boats, brewskies... I''m glad you were able to escape for a while.

 

[Heidi137]

Julia,
My MIL isn''t in the nursing home yet but it won''t be long. She will really pitch a fit when that day comes but it is becoming increasingly difficult to handle her at home. She stays with us part of the time but she has a home right down the street from us. My husband moved her here after her husband died and since she has no other relatives in our area, (or friends) she clings to my husband like glue. We check on her about four times a day and she goes to a senior citizen center every morning. She has ALWAYS been extremely self-centered. I feel really guilty about my tolerance level with her but it''s just so hard. She has never been a good mom or grandmother, much less a MIL. Her sister (who is a newly retired nurse ) kept her for us to go out of town recently and when we returned, her husband called my husband and asked him not to ever bring her back. He said his wife just couldn''t deal with her. And we deal with her 24/7.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 4/8/2008 12:59:33 PM
Author: Heidi137
Julia,

My MIL isn''t in the nursing home yet but it won''t be long. She will really pitch a fit when that day comes but it is becoming increasingly difficult to handle her at home. She stays with us part of the time but she has a home right down the street from us. My husband moved her here after her husband died and since she has no other relatives in our area, (or friends) she clings to my husband like glue. We check on her about four times a day and she goes to a senior citizen center every morning. She has ALWAYS been extremely self-centered. I feel really guilty about my tolerance level with her but it''s just so hard. She has never been a good mom or grandmother, much less a MIL. Her sister (who is a newly retired nurse ) kept her for us to go out of town recently and when we returned, her husband called my husband and asked him not to ever bring her back. He said his wife just couldn''t deal with her. And we deal with her 24/7.

Oh Heidi. Listen, it wouldn''t do any harm to start just looking at different homes in your area. I found when I started that they varied wildly, in terms of environment, "feel," lighting, etc etc. In all honesty, your mil might be a little angry with you all at first, but I can just about guarantee you she will be happier once she does move. There are people around all the time, built in activities, hot meals, nursing, and all that. I went through the same thing, trying to give my mother (who was also very into herself, long story)what she wanted and it nearly killed us (figuratively, emotionally, physically, every which a way). No one would take my mother either. Sad but true. I did what I would have wanted someone else to do for me and I honored her needs as best I could. Heidi, sooner or later you just have to do something. My views were that I wanted my mother to move before her health declined too much to get to know people and know where she was. I had to work and she had to be looked after throughout the day, so I made plans and began looking months before I knew my summer was coming to an end (I''m in a school).
I would suggest you enlist your aunt and begin looking at places, because sometimes there is a waiting list. You might be surprised and like what you see. It is hard when you turn into the parent, isn''t it? It all doesn''t have to be gloom and doom. There are positives here! It all depends on how everyone looks at it. Moving her may be the best thing for all sides.

 

[Ellen]

Heidi, I echo what julia said. And I was just researching things this morning, and came across a great piece of advice. Don''t feel guilty for placing someone in a home. No one person can do it all in caring for someone with this disease.

And that''s the truth.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 4/8/2008 4:37:57 PM
Author: Ellen
Heidi, I echo what julia said. And I was just researching things this morning, and came across a great piece of advice. Don't feel guilty for placing someone in a home. No one person can do it all in caring for someone with this disease.

And that's the truth.

I agree w/Ellen. Hugs to you Heidi.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ETA: has anyone been through hip surgery with their parents? I hope someone has some insight into how to help their parents through this. The doctor sort of told me the process but if someone does not mind sharing I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 4/9/2008 7:05:06 AM
Author: Skippy123


ETA: has anyone been through hip surgery with their parents? I hope someone has some insight into how to help their parents through this. The doctor sort of told me the process but if someone does not mind sharing I would greatly appreciate it.

I just saw this. Both my parents had hip replacements. How can I help you? I am rarely at the computer nowadays, but I will check this thread each time that I am.

In general, I suggest that you find a place like the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City where the anesthesiologists are expert and will not use general anesthesia. General anesthesia puts your parent's or parents' life (lives) at risk (however small the risk). There is absolutely no need for this.

My father had his surgery all arranged and was so anxious that he didn't want to listen to me when I told him to have it at HSS instead of at the local hospital where he had had the surgery booked.

When the surgeon told him there was a risk of dying, however, he decided to go to HSS where it was most expertly done!

Any hospital that specializes in orthopedic surgery will be able to do the procedure without general anesthesia.

After the surgery your parent(s) should go to rehab and work hard on physical therapy. That is the best way to recuperate. Going home right away is not as good as going to rehab and being pushed to work!

I hope this helps.

Hugs,
Deb

 

[justjulia]

Skippy,
My best friend had hip replacement a few years ago. I remember her saying that recuperation was easier if she slept in a recliner in the living room for a while--I think she could get up and down easier than from a bed. Sorry I don''t know more but I hope this little tidbit is useful.