What we all fear: has happened to Dario, he fell on Jan.7h, broke his hip, was operated on Jan 9th, a rod and 3 pins....since his operation, he has not been able to speak..or get out of bed.has not been able to swallow, therefor has pneumonia..heart rate increased...loss of blood, that they cannot pinpoint as yet...transfusions..creaton level went up...all this has happened, and more, to a man that yes..has alzheimer's.on meds for deprssion and anxiety..but otherwise in good health...It has been a nightmare the last 11 days..Thank God I have my 4 daughters and their husbands for support... It has been very hard for them to control Dario's restlessness...he is now on Morphine, and Valium..by IV.. I was wondering if anyone else has had a similiar expereince...if so, please share....
RB13 - what I'm going to discuss isn't going to help you now but may help others.
When my husband was hospitalized last August - after the first 6 days he was transferred from acute care to the holding floor awaiting transfer. Once he got there they insisted he wear hip protectors 24/7 as he was semi-ambulatory initially and more ambulatory at other times. When he was discharged into the nursing home I got 4 pair of hip protectors and instructed the nursing home he was to wear them 24/7. Now he is back home with me he continues to wear the hip protectors. I really feel they do provide some protection if they fall.
I have no experience myself, however, my friend's father with dementia, experienced the same thing. One day he was in a restaurant drinking coffee, the next day fell & broke his hip, after the surgery he came home to a hospital bed & never left it. Sounds like the same thing that has happen to your husband.
my dh falls a lot. He's done that ever since I've known him. If he gets off center, he'll go down. He's fallen twice in the last couple of months. Hard, both times. Yet, he hasn't broken anything. And he's over 210 lbs. This last time, he had a badly bruised buttock and thigh. I was amazed that he didn't break his hip. He fell in someone's house, from tripping on their step up. It was tile.
Unfortunately is is known that any hospitalization will make a dementia patient worse. Surgery, especially, is always problematic. Broken bones are something that you have to at least try to fix, but what happened to RB's husband is not unusual.
If hospice has not been called in, you should ask for an assessment. If it isn't the time for them to come in, they will tell you. If is is time, at least you will know what you are dealing with. They are the experts.
Thank-you all for all your caring words.. Dario's problem now is that he is bleeding, loosing blood, has had several blood transfusions...they can't seem to find the reason. to-night they did a dye, Vascular CT scan...will know more tomorrow....We are waiting a few days and then he will take another Barum Swallow test, to see if he can swallow...he failed the first one, if he fails this one, we will have to make some descisions....Oh how I hate this disease. It is taking more then I realized, out of me...Bless you all....Rosalie
Oh Rosalie, I'm so sorry for what you are going through. Unfortuately it seems par for the course. Each time my DH has been hospitalized he has declined. Everything that I have read seems to point in the direction of a sharp decline when trauma strikes. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep in touch. Tossing you the rope sweetie, Arms around, Susan
Rosallie: I am so sorry that this has happened to your DH. It is what I live in constant fear of. My DW has been falling and recently fell three times in one weekend. Didn't break anything this time, but, it is only a matter of time until she does. However, she has no fear of falling and will not use her walker or cane. She will now hold on to my arm so I can steady her. I know what you mean inre getting them up tho. She only weighs about 160lbs and it is almost impossible to get her up. I don't know how you ladies can even attempt it. You sure have my admiration.
Our neuro dr said that her disease has either progressed to the part of the brain that controls balance or she might have had a mini-stroke. Either way, there isn't anything we can do about it.
I think, from your expressions, that you all are wonderful caregivers and nice people.
Falling is a major concern here also. We been to the ER twice as a result, and he is still falling around the house. Our driveway is very steep, and he stubbornly wants to get the mail or whatever at the top ..then trips on the way down, and that is using his walker!
I found a very good 4 wheel seated walker that is tall enough for him (he is 6'6"), so we'll see how that works..of course, he has to use it!
Rosalie, my dear friend, even though I have not added a message to you, you and I have been on the telephone almost daily keeping in touch. We know we have to live from day to day and hope that our loved ones will not suffer. How life can change from one moment to the next! I do believe that we spouses are the ones who suffer the most because we are aware of what is going on and it pains us so much to see the slow, slow, painful,downward spiral. You know how much I care, especially having met you and some of your family in November and have developed a "sisterhood".
I have not added to the discussions in quite some time but share my heartaches with you, Rosalie. For all the rest of my caring friends on line, I last wrote you about going to be with my family in St. Louis for Christmas and having to make the choice of family or my DH in the Care Center. Well, it proved to be a great time for me, I spoke with him on the phone each day, and he was unaware of Christmas. I am so glad I took the advice some of you gave me! My DH Gerry has gone down hill steadily for several weeks now, eating little, communicating very little, mostly nonsensical. He was so agitated and loudly yelling in the care center that he was put on an additonal Seroquel...400 mg a day now...It has calmed him down, but I am aware that it is no doubt doing serious damage to him. He is no longer able to follow directions and is in a wheelchair. They have found him on the floor several times now with no injury, and he cannot be restrained. I struggle each day, visit usually every other day, and then have a 40 mile, hour and 15 minute ride home, but he is in an excellent facility and I dare not move him for my sake. I know I share my heartaches with so many of you, and my heart goes out to each and every one of you.
HLK and Rosalie, you are both in our thoughts and prayers. Please continue to keep us updated. We care about you and want to be here for you when you need us. ((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))
Thank you for your kind words...this has been a sad day for me, I got a call from my dear friend Rosalie this morning, that her beloved husband, Dario, passed away peacefully last night. In some ways, it is a blessing, but in others a heartache and leaves a huge void in her life. My regret is that I never got to meet Dario, only through his photo and Rosalie. She has a lovely family, and thank God she has them, and by her side. I did not wish to be the bearer of this news to you, but know she is not in touch right now, and I know how much she will welcome your kind words and sympathy.
As for my DH Gerry, he is not eating, I feed him when I can get there every other day for about three hours. He has lost a lot of weight down to 150 from 172 in a few months. He lived to eat and would never waste food. I just don't seem to ever come to terms with this terrible disease and see my darling hubby change into a completely different person. How can I ever accept it! I am such a sentimentalist and softie! How I wish that I were able to have him home like most of you dear friends do..his terrible behavior and danger to me, made it necessary to have him in a care center and even there, he is a handful. I love you all for your support!
Rosalie, I am so sorry to hear that your dear husband Dario has died. THoughts and prayers are with you; I wish you strength to get through the difficult days ahead, and I wish you both peace. Many condolences.
HLK, thanks for letting us know. Perhaps it would be better to open a new thread; perhaps Joan will do it, and transfer the posts that are made here.
A strange thing happen a few minutes ago with my husband. He was sitting in his chair, with his eyes closed, but not asleep...all of sudden he fell out of the chair onto the floor, scared me to death. I helped him up, he seems fine now. Sitting watching T.V. Anyone else had this happen?
Kadee, why do you think he was not asleep - Maybe he was. I know that if one was asleep, they could fall forward..just as their heads bob forward or they will slump over to the side. If he was ok - I think he did doze off and since the head/shoulders are the heaviest part of the body, he just tilted over and kept on falling.