We're back.. that certainly didn't take all too long. I got my mom home on Monday even though I didn't think she was ready to go home. They insisted though. Her bp was 154/100 and that was also considered normal. Not in my books but hey.. what the hell do I know? Nothing I guess except that her pain meds needed to be put back to what she originally had and when they finally did, guess what? Pain relief. Imagine that. And then there was her swallowing medication that they removed as well and when they were finally convinced by the dietician to reinstate that guess what? She started swallowing better too! So of course I know nothing about her bp meds. Why would I? I've only taken care of her 24/7 for the last 4 years and for years prior to that as well when she needed occasional care. She still had some delirium as well when they sent her home.
Problem was they were lying through their teeth. I was told she took all her meds, then a Dr told me she wasn't. No one could make up their mind but it couldn't be both people... now could it? No one also told me how bad her mornings were either. I found out it was a well kept secret.
So I got her home the afternoon of Monday Sept 8th. About 2 pm and I noticed a bit later she was agitated. She fell asleep later in the afternoon. When reading her paperwork I found out they actually stopped a med I was told she was getting. Does anyone get anything right here? So night time Monday comes and I don't give her her sleeping pill since that's the one I found out they pulled but actually told me she was still getting. Monday night she slept not too too bad thankfully. I had a sitter for her in the night so I could get some sleep and she was really great. She sat up close to mom's bed all night and held her hand until she fell asleep. And there she sat the entire night. If I could have had her the entire week I would have. What a great sitter. She knew her job and was obviously great with seniors.
Tuesday morning she was really groggy. I mean really groggy and she slept the entire day! She finally woke up about 5 pm. I was worried because I didn't think she would sleep that night after her sleeping the better part of the day. I was right but part of that wasn't her fault. I tucked her in at about 10:30 pm and she said she didn't think she would sleep. I told her just to lay there and close her eyes and think nice thoughts and I'm sure she'll sleep soon.
I went to bed and then @ 1:00 am I got up. I peeked in on her and the sitter said that she wasn't sleeping much and that she just fell asleep. Right then didn't she wake up and I went over and tried to convince her again to rest, relax, etc. She said ok.
When I got up at 6 am to let the sitter out didn't she wake up again, wide awake and wanting to talk to the sitter. So she goes up to the bed and starts to chat with her! I'm standing there in the doorway and thinking "what the hell"? "I want her to sleep". So she finally starts to leave and doesn't she tell me that the two of them were chatting all night long! Really? Instead of letting her sleep, telling her it was time for bed, telling her you needed some sleep, you stimulated her??? kept her up all night? Just freakin wonderful.
So she leaves and I convince my mom to nap for a couple more hours until Cheryl comes (that morning's psw). She said she would so I could get some more sleep I needed. I tucked her back in and went back to bed. 8 am comes and Cheryl comes in and isn't she wide awake! I quickly give her her morning meds with no problems and head back to bed for a bit. Cheryl gives her her bed bath, and changes and dresses her up for the day and even manages to do something with her hair. I walk in at 8:45 and there she is.. sitting up in bed, glasses on, reading part of her newspaper!! She looked like my old mom. Like she normally did every day before this horrendous incident. She looked perky, she was smiling, she was glowing :-) Cheryl dressed her in lilac and rose colours and she looked like she was ready to go out!
I asked if she wanted coffee.. she said yes! Drank almost the entire thing! It was so nice. Got her a supershake (her liquid diet) and didn't she down that in record time too! By the time I ran out around 11:15 am she was on her 2nd one. When I got home at 12:15 pm she had almost finished it! And she was sitll smiling and talking and everything. I was so hopeful and so happy. Her afternoon psw was overjoyed to see her like this because she then admitted that the day before she was so worried. The afternoon went mostly like this.
My caregiver relief came in at 3:00 pm and I ran out for some errands for an hour. When I got home things were really different. She was passed out cold sleeping. I couldn't get her to wake. She could barely lift her eyes. I figured the night up had finally caught up with her and she crashed. When she did wake while I was out she would tell Faithlyn that she had to get out of the bed! And she would start to put her legs over the rails. She would convince her no, that she didn't need to.
Some time after 6 pm I was tired and wanted to lay down a bit. I went into her room and told her I was going to lay down. I got her comfy and moved her legs again. Just to be sure she didn't try something. I went to my room. Almost right away I had to use the bathroom so I went. Before I went into the bathroom I peeked in her room. She was laying quietly and I thought she was snoozing. I went to the bathroom. On my way out for some reason I decided to peek in her room again and when I did I almost shit. There she was.. on the floor!!!!
How long does it take to go to the loo? geezuz, 3 minutes? At that point my friend Ravinder came in and so did the psw for the evening. I called an ambulance to take her to the hospital and check her out. So here we are.. it's now 10:51 pm and her tummy hurts. They did an ultrasound and I think everything is ok. They just took her down to ct scan to check that she didn't hit her head. I have no idea since she fell while I was in the washroom. I saw nothing of how she hit the ground.
so... it's 12:32 am and a dr came in to tell me the internal medicine people will be by to look at her. I ask him if she's being admitted and he says he doesn't know, it's up to them. geez does anyone know anything in here. And get this.. the medical team that is going to come down here and see her is the same team that treated her upstairs when she was here. oh yippie... think they may get it right this time? This dr says he is pretty sure that since she just left here on Monday they will more than likely admit her again. He also made a hint at placement somewhere. In other words a nursing home. Says a social worker will come talk to me. Sure.. I heard that before. Over 3 weeks ago when she had the ruptured aneurysm. Never did see anyone that said they were a social worker.
This place is notorious for sending people home way too early. If they are full, then send patients elsewhere but stop sending sick people home early!!! They usually just rebound and land their ass right back in here.
I'd like to know if I can go home and get some sleep considering if they don't keep her I have to take care of her on no sleep.
He wanted me to put her in ltc and I told him no because she isn't take care of in there right. They don't make sure she drinks her diet, or water even for that matter. Excuse me but she'd be back in that damn place in a week with dehydration or would have rather just have me tell them to let her curl up and die? They don't brush her hair, or her teeth. How disgusting is that? They don't put a mat down until she falls. Then she can have one. and so on and so on. He tells me she isn't safe at home since she had this fall. I told him then she's not safe anywhere. She's fallen in ltc as well.
So that's when he starts his spiel.. and I'm just not getting it.. I'm tired. I'm trying to focus but I'm simply not getting it. I know he's trying to say something but it's not coming through. So finally I tell him I'm too tired for this and to use the k.i.s.s. principal.. keep it simple stupid.... and that's when he comes out and still can't get his tongue around it but now I get his drift and I ask him.. "you think I should let her die of an infection"? He say "yes" I ask him if he's out of his freakin mind. Could he imagine what kind of pain she would be in. Oh.. excuse me "they will give her something for the pain".. yea sure.. like D'Silva did when she pulled my mom's codeine and she laid there for a week crying in pain?
I told him to just tell me if she's staying or going home. He said since she fell she isn't safe at home (he doesn't get it.. she's fallen while in there even!), so he would admit her and start her on an anti-biotic. I said fine, talked to my mom a bit and then headed home. I got home about 2:40 am.
Once I was home and in bed I blogged this but I also wrote a letter to the care manager there on the 14th floor.. I'll copy and paste it here. btw, I copied and pasted a bit of it here already to make for less typing..... I'm damn tired.
so it's 1:30 am and in walks dr so & so.. I'm so tired now I don't give a shit what his name is. And he tells me she's ok in regards of the fall. No broken bones, no crack in the skull.. this is a good thing. Then he starts talking about dementia and such and putting her in a nursing home. I told him no, they don't take care of her there. They don't make sure she drinks water or her liquid diet. They don't take her out of her room, they don't brush her damn hair or teeth! Then he starts going on about how often she has been in here and her confusion so I made it very clear that she's been here due to u.t.i.'s and she's always confused with them.
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