My grandfather is 78 and in the past year he has gone from very active to sleeping all the time. He is no longer wanting to eat. He has lost a great amount of weight and now needs adult diapers because he no longer feels when he has to urinate. He is losing his balance and falling and is now walking with a walker or cane. All of this in 1 year. He is refusing to go to the doctor because he says there is nothing wrong with him, even though he has been urinating blood off and on for the last year. What can I do to help him and what does all this mean? Is he giving up on life?
The next time he falls, or has any kind of crisis (I'd go with bloody urine if had to), call 911 and have them try to convince him to go to the ER. From there he'll probably be held for observation and if need be, admitted for treatment. EMTs tend to hold much more authority for sick elders than adult children do. Good luck and keep us posted!
He may be very sick and since he refuses to see the doctor, do you have mobile physicians in your area? He might allow a house call as it’s not such a production as going to the Doctor’s office. He could be very embarrassed by his incontinence. Blood in the urine is NEVER a good thing. And sadly, sometimes we have to wait for a medical crisis or emergency before our loved ones will allow us to help. Hang in there.
But giving up? That's hard to say - not everyone lives to see 80 and his body can also just be worn out. While my DH reached 96 (so far) - he had 3 sisters pass before they reached 65, one brother that passed at 73 and 2 sisters that 'almost' made it to 95.
If I had to guess, I would think that some infection caused him to sleep more and eat less - but again, I am not in the medical profession. I am just a wife and helping my DH.
The only thing I can say is that he needs to be seen and evaluated. It might be time for an ambulance to take him to the hospital. Or, at least call in HomeHealth and they will evaluate his needs and see that they are carried out.
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