Mom seems over medicated during hip rehab. Any advice?
She broke her femoral neck two weeks ago and was doing amazingly well. Did not need hip replacement just screw. Said she never had pain in the hip but has complained about headaches and some shoulder pain. She is 87. Until a few days ago she was only taking pain meds at night to sleep and was chipper,doing well ini rehab etc. two days ago she complained to the nurse she was sleeping too much. I also noticed she had turned lethargic. Nurse told both of us she had started taking pain meds around the clock. I tried talking to the nurse. This really didn't seem necessary to up the meds". They want her to go home Tuesday and seemed to me they should be weaning her off the meds, not the opposite. Especially since she is not experiencing pain in the hip. The staff seemed clueless and mom resented it. Mom likes Vicodin and would take dad's on occasion. She really got mad at me once for not giving Vicodin to her when I had some left over from dental surgery. Am I the clueless one here? I think mom is just taking it to make the hospital time go faster. It does not seem to be helping on here recovery but actually hindering. Am I being a helicopter daughter or is this STOP.
I thought she was maybe restless, because she wanted to go home, and they gave her meds to calm her down. The next day when I saw her in this condition, I lost it and inquired, "what the hell did you do to my Mother?" The nurse stood there and stared at me, while I yelled it two more times. With no response from the nurse, I threatened to call 911 and THEN, she left the room to get someone. I can't bare to re-live the rest of the story, but she stayed in that condition another day or so and then died. After her death, I got copies of her records, to only go in shock, to realize they over dosed my Mother. She received medicine, that was stated in her records, that she was allergic. Found out they gave her pain meds (that she had refused several times, when I was with her) that had interacted with the med she was given, that she was allergic too. I find out, after already in a commatose condition, she was given morphine! That is all it took and my precious Mother died. I am trying to go after the hospital and all that were involved, in giving my Mother medicine, that caused her demise. I always kept check on medicine given to my Mom. All these meds, were given to her, without my knowledge. There was never any communication on the staff or Doctor's part, on what they were giving her or anything. I ALWAYS, questioned anything, that was given to my Mom, but all the meds were given to her, when I left.
I need help in starting a petition or some law to help the elderly, from getting overdosed with meds, in order to keep them quiet or whatever the purpose is, so the hospital staff, doesn't have to deal with him. Too much of this is going on, and NEEDS to be STOPPED!
RCW6532 was 100% correct, when they stated, "They love to sedate patients because it makes them easier to deal with." Does anyone, have any suggestions, on help to stop this abuse on the elderly, which in my case, caused my Mother's death? I am overwhelmed with grief, because I know, that I could have had my Mother awhile longer, if she wasn't over medicated.
She sounds way too fond of the Vicoden. That is a problem for the future. For now I would expect her to need some pain medication for at least a month but at reducing amounts as time goes on. Do not allow her direct acess to the meds as she will probably take too many which will mean she is accidentally taking too much Tylenol which is part of Vicoden and can lead to kidney damage and failure. she probably needs someone living with her for the first 6 weeks so plan for that. she needs help with bathing,cooking cleaning laundry etc. She will be capable of heating food in the microwave and making drinks but beyond that she needs help, When using a walker it is not possible to carry plates or drinks.
I had a hip and knee replacement done at 68 so I do have experience of the difficulties. I was much younger and determined to recover fully but at times there is complete exhaustion and all you want to do is sleep. I would get in my recliner and ask my husband to bring me a cat to purr me to sleep!!!! i did enjoy the side effects of the Vicoden too. I had the bottle by my chair but also pen and paper so I could write down the time of the last dose. You can be very forgetful when you are in La la land. Be prepared to step up to the plate you will be needed.
Get her physician involved in her home heal5t6h care & get a Rx. for home health too so that someone besides you can over see this issue. Like a home health R.N. The nurse can be in contact with the physician to come up with what would be best but Vicodin sounds ok to me for what she has been through.
But I am here & you are there-get help with what your doing. She will need something.
Are they keeping her busy? Is she bored or depressed?
When an elder is in the hospital, you really need to be there most of each day to meet their needs and make sure they don't fall, and get something to eat. Trays are taken back to the kitchen staff untouched if the elder is weak or a fussy eater.
However, she will change in the hospital both from the fall and being out of her normal environment. Hospitals have a disorienting effect on the elder. If the hospital is overmedicating her to keep her from demanding the care she needs or wants, that could explain the mood change. Don't be surprised if she starts talking about trips she has taken which she imagined as a result of the drugs. I had this happen with my elderly father when a doctor from the hospital not his doctor allowed him to be sedated because he needed help walking with his walker to the bathroom or to use a bedside commode. Hospitals staff resent the elders who need care, they expect them to be able to walk themselves everywhere and not bother them.
However 90+ seniors need care with everything and this results in them overmedicating them. I had aides joking that my father was eating sugar packets on his breakfast tray after being over medicated.
However, before your mother comes home. Get a plan in place. She may have broken something else if she has pain. Perhaps they only checked her hip. Check her situation out fully.
Second, 48 hours isn't enough time to watch her after a fall. I would have her with a home health aide for a month or so to make sure she can live without help. You don't want her to have another fall. However, once they have a fall, they will have another. Having someone there will give her a chance not to break a hip.
She may need to walk with a walker for support and need a PT from medicare to show her how to use it effectively.
Her home or apartment needs to be checked for safety. Throw rugs and other things which could trip her need to be eliminated. Consider getting a bed rail so she has support getting into and out of bed. Medicare does not pay for this item but without it lots of seniors fall when getting into and out of bed.
This fall is a wake up call, mother is aging and things are happening. She is being to have mobility issues. Perhaps it is arthritis or she has light headed moments when she falls but something is happening. Some medicines can make the elder light headed. There is a reason the elder falls.
Good luck. You are correct that hospitals are not good places for the elderly and especially the fragile elderly.
Even after the home health aide leaves, get a medical alert button on her.
If there is an addiction issue or she has problems weaning off it once she is home, I think medicare has a home service for the first few weeks a patient is home. Maybe have a behavioral nurse go to the house and work with her to wean her off if she seems to have withdrawal problems once home.