My Mother's been at hospital for almost two weeks. She was admitted with suspected UTI but doctors found that she had had a stroke. To make matters worse, I learned about 10 days into her stay that they failed to properly transfer all of her medications when she left the Emergency Department. I had them correct it as soon as I found out. And a director and head doctor admitted their error and even explained how it happened (failure during medication reconciliation). She's an elderly woman with bipolar disorder and they hadn't been giving her lithium for 10 whole days. She has gone from being aware of where she is, conversational and willingly taking meds, to now being barley communicative, having auditory hallucinations, and refusing to take pills (the latter is new as of today). On top of that, she's not eating and they're discussing using a feeding tube.
I'm so angry and sad because this could've been avoided if they had done what they were supposed to. In addition to the confusion she had from the UTI, they've made her mental state worse by essentially robbing her of her mind. This is so unfair. She's been through so much and a place where she's supposed to have been getting help was also working against her. I'm trying to stay strong for her but these people.
You have to visit regularly so the in-laws can count on a visit, while also doing surprise pop ins at various times of day to make sure they aren't being neglected. Since my inlaws both had dementia, I made friends with lots of the regular residents who would also keep me in the know. On the folks' final declines I had to bring our dog with me so I could stay for hours.
Yes, it was much easier than home caregiving, but it comes with its own workload.
I am so sorry they messed up your Mom's meds. You would think the least they could do was recognize the importance of the psych meds.
(((Hug)))
My mother was put BACK on blood thinners after being released from the hospital after being taken off of them a year earlier for horrible excessive nosebleeds. When I walked into the SNF she was at for rehab, I saw an aide pushing a laundry cart down the hall with a nightgown on it that looked just like moms. I said so to the aide, who informed me it WAS my mother's nightgown! She'd had a very bad nose bleed earlier that morning and her gown had been washed. I put two and two together and discovered the hospital put Eloquis on her discharge papers and thus the nose bleed. Boy was I livid.
I hope your mom gets proper care moving forward at this place. She's fortunate to have you for her advocate.
Came to find the next day she had been given NOTHING.
This is apparently commonplace. This was a "good" hospital in suburban Connecticut.
Always have a list of her meds, the doses, and her conditions with you. I had a large envelope with all that info plus.copies of my POA with me at all times when my mother was alive.