ITA is "Involuntary Treatment Act." My POA's did NOT specifically cover Psych admissions or I could have signed him in. As it is, the counties crisis team evaluated and committed him involuntarily to psych....and suggested I have our attorney add the Psych clause into our POA's.

DH was ramping up on his agitation, antsy actions, and delusions were creeping in. He was adamant about getting out of the house. Those double keyed locks were a God send. Now DH wanted to cut screens with butter knives, break windows with kitchen tools, and then mentioned throwing a chair through a window so he could get out to his mothers. He felt she'd be mad. Normally he could be distracted.

Yesterday (Wed) he was antsy right away in the morning talking about needing to get out of here, needing to go home to "mom's." DIL is back from visiting her Dad, so she was kind in driving my kids to the college for me, saving me from having to take DH out alot. He is weak, we have exterior stairs in and out of the house. We unlocked the door for DIL and DD to go through and DH was insistent to follow and held fast in the doorway. This was 10:35 a.m. As they went out the gate on our deck and started down the steps to the driveway DH broke my grip. I tried to grab a phone fast enough to get to the gate with...before DH could get out. I knew I'd need 911 due to a fall, or needing assist to get him back indoors. Mr. Tenderfoot, was in stocking feet, pushing me away while standing atop the stairs. I had to let him walk down the steps -and pray. I was right behind by a couple steps and he wanted me "AWAY." Then he gets out to the gravel drive in his stocking feet and this tenderfoot kept walking, dragging his catheter behind. I got it picked up and hooked it to his pocket. Next he grabbed the phone out of my hand and refused to give it back. He wanted his Mom. It took quite some time to "trick" or coerce DH back toward the house. Its an interesting detailed story of his refusal to enter the house, and his distrust of me. Wild accusations of me being unfaithful, to having murderers, and robbers in our house. I tried everything to trick him, including telling him I didn't know his Mom's number and needed the phone book. He'd stop dead at the stairs and tell me to go in to find the phone book. I told him our dogs didn't like me and would bite me if he didn't go in first. We made it just to the top of the stairs, inside the gate to the deck, and I managed to get it closed. That is when the aggression started. As I'm holding him back and dialing 911 he is telling me to "Call the cops to get me out of here." LOL....now that was the only funny part of the day. DH steps into the house while I'm talking to the 911 operator (who was great). I tried to close the door once he was inside, but he was pushing back pretty hard. All the while I'm giving the 911 operator a birds eye view of whats happening. We live in a tiny town so when the cop came (everyone concerned here had a heads up on the AD), I said "Paul, help is here. See the officer at the door?" I was able to go to the door and let him in as DH by this time came in, sat on the couch with my blackberry in his hand...trying to figure out how to call his Mom. (she died in the later 60's).

I know this is getting really long. I was, for all the morning DH's mortal enemy, an unfaithful wife, and he'd have nothing to do with me. Told the officer he would hurt me. He said he didn't want to but he would. Lots of de-escalating talk. DH asked the cop to take him to jail. He didn't know why when asked "do you need to go to jail?" How about seeing your doctor? DH wanted that. He referred to the catheter as something he had to get rid of so he needed the hospital. Sheesh! When asked if he'd let his wife (me) drive him he informed the cop that he didn't even want to be in the same room with me. So, he obliged and called the medics. DD's friend is a member of the volunteer squad so when she heard our address on the scanner she jumped in her car and got to the station so she showed up shortly after the first medic truck and could talk to Paul like "old friends." She got my blackberry back from him (he was gonna keep it, hah), and rode with him to the hospital. The ambulance left here just before noon, and our cop advised me to sit back for a few, and gain my composure before driving to meet them at the hospital.

Interestingly, once at the hospital DH was fine with me being in the cubical with him. Acting like all was well. The next several hours is an entirely different thread on repeating my story to several different folks, and finally having DH admitted to Psych by 7:45 p.m. I was exhausted last night, but still woke here and there because of so many questions, so many what ifs about what will happen next and what the impact will be.

I'll write more later about interactions with staff, med issues, etc.

Try to get some rest. Just remember he is in a safe place. Take some time to breathe and regroup. We have all been there or are headed there. He is taken care of for now. They will keep him at least 72 hours I am assuming since it is an involutary admission. If they try to release him before you are ready and have all the support you need(home health etc) just refuse to have him discharged. The social worker at the hosp can help you with all the arrangements, but for now REST!!!!!!!!!! Praying for you and him and your family. Phyllis

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the details. I need to hear that. I am sorry that you are having to go through this and it has to be awful for your husband. This AD plays with my mind as much as his as when he has those rational times - which is the behavior most on the outside see - I think to myself, " I am just picking on him, and he really is ok." This despite the records we have and the ton of meds he has to take. I am so grateful to you for taking time to share with us with so much detail. It is very helpful to me. I know when my husband is in the hospital, it is like a vacation to me, I can rest and not have to have eyes in the back of my head. I hope you can get a little rest despite the concern with the hospital. That will be another big story that we will eagerly await. Take care of yourself.

New Realm, I really appreciate your taking time to post, and to go into detail. Please continue. It is good for all of us to know what we might expect and how you handled it, and it's good for you to get it off your chest. I'm so sorry that you had to go through it, and grateful that you have friends and a community to help you. Hopefully medication will permit him to come home again where you can continue to take care of him. Please let us know how you are doing. (((HUGS)))

New Realm, so glad your daughter's friend was there to go with him to the hospital. Sometimes I think all of us should live in an Alzheimer's community so we could help each other. We're the only ones who truly understand.

Thank you for posting. This is information all of us need to know.

Get some rest and breathe, breathe, breathe. {{{{Hugs}}}}

New Realm, oh my gosh! I can't even imagine what you went through with your DH. I'm not there yet, but I know it's coming. Please, please, please take care of yourself. As Bluedaze said, make sure you have a game plan in place before his release. I think you (and all of you for that matter) are so brave to tell your stories. Never feel like your posts are too long. This is exactly the place for you to express yourself. I feel blessed when I ready what others are going through. It makes me feel less alone! Thank you for being brave. Hug ~ Di

Me too...but thanks for sharing it all...very important to know what may be ahead..so very sorry you have to deal with this.

Been there, done that. Get some rest if you can.

Oh, my dear! SCARY!! Thanks for sharing.. and don't stop!! I just can't imagine that catheter getting dragged all over the place!!

New Realm - I am so sorry that you have to go through all of this. Like ehamilton - been there, done that and really, really didn't like it. One of the best parts of this forum is that you know one or more people have been through the same things that you are going through. For me, it makes me realize that what I am dealing with is "normal" and it really is the disease.

They medicated my DH down to a wheel chair and he was so unresponsive when he was in the psych ward. I went from a husband who could talk, dress himself, feed himself and walk to one who was wheel-chair bound, could hardly talk never mind dress or feed himself. When we got him out of the psych ward and to the facility he is now in, they lowered his meds and he was able to walk and feed himself again. He could talk too but never went back to having conversations like he was before the whole incident nor did he ever dress himself again.

This really is a very crappy disease.

Well I was asked to come to a court hearing this a.m. at the hospital for DH's involuntary commitment up to 14 days. (standard length of time I believe).
When I arrived they told me the hearing wasn't necessary as DH verbalized that he wanted to stay and take the antipsychotics.

Turns out that the issue of having "Psych commitment" in my POA's is actually a NON-ISSUE! Doesn't work in Washington State. Even if I had complete guardianship an involuntary commitment to Psych for treatment requires a court order.


And now for the ED Staff interactions story:

I was NOT, repeat NOT going to be bowled over by doctors, etc. into what they thought was the right way to handle my DH, as I was when he was discharged from the telemetry floor. I just went with it because they SAID he was discharged. I should have refused then and didn't.
I reaffirmed my role on this AD Journey and resolved from the moment I dialed 911 that I was going to stand my ground and claim the directors chair.

Upon arriving at the ED they let me go back to where DH was, with a sitter. DH was "fine" with me coming in.

The ED doc had me step out and fill him in on the reason we were there. I gave him the run down on the recent admission and discharge with A-Fib, and Uropathy (reason for cath). Also that DH had a UTI and bladder spasms. DH was not finished with his course of Keflex, and not done with his 5 days Mag replacement and K+. I informed him that the pharmacist brought a contraindication of meds to my attention and was to give a courtesy call to the doc who ordered the discharge meds. Not hearing from him that day I decided to call the Neuro in the a.m. Left my message with receptionist to have nurse or doc call me, and gave a rundown of the problem. Nurse calls end of day for more complete history/clarification of issue. She states doctor is at the hospital and she will inform him. He or she will call back. No call, and by this time I am not able to go to pharmacy. So in a.m. the nurse tells me the neuro wants to defer to the discharging physician so as to not interfere with the cardiac issues.

So, I give all that info to the ED doc. Shortly after he says, "seems he needs some extra antipsychotic to calm him down. what about if we give him some extra Risperdal? Can you take him home?"

Here is where I hold my ground. I give the doc a resounding "NO!!!!!" And remind him there is a reason I had to call 911, and a reason he is NOT to have more Risperdal.

They say he is psych, not medical and they will be needing the cubical eventually so we can wait in a secured area for psych ED patients. Before we are moved a male RN enters the cubical and says, "Paul? I have a couple pills for you." I ask, "That isn't Risperdal, is it?" The RN "acts" like he looks at the unit pack and states, "well, yes it is." Could you all here that explosion?

I sternly stated..."that is the PROBLEM DRUG. NO!!! He will not take that." GRRR!!! So, we waited a few more hours to see if DH could go to their psych or another psych....and before you know it the ED doc is kissing butt, and the crisis worker and psych folks are telling me what a good caregiver I am.

Stand your ground - I applaud you and your compassion and love for DH. It gets very, very hard to fight the system - they don't want you to "win" meaining they want to do what they want to do. Make them accountable to you and for their actions. I truly believe they have a systematic approach and are not willing (or incapable) of handling each dementia patient as an individual case. As for your POA, if it was drafted by an elder attorney, most likely it covers psych treatment. I learned the whole psych system refuses to share information and when I challenged them the reason I was given was "it's due to a long history of keeping patients privacy". Now with HIPPA and releases which my DH signed, I told them they were hiding behind convention and preventing me from the information I had a right (POA) and permission (HIPPA release) to know. Thank god the head social worker read the POA (which was in the chart) and declared "This POA is well written and covers all issues, including pysch". Had he not made the statement, I would still be fighting the hospital staff. Keep fighting.

New Realm, maybe they have his meds adjusted now and you can rest a little easier.