Prayer request

I would appreciate prayers for my FIL. He’s in his 80’s and has had dementia (vascular) for many years. Otherwise, he has been very healthy, fit, and active. He walks a mile/day. His main issues up have been memory loss and confusion.

He is in memory care and we’ve been told many times he is sweet and cooperative. We visit him 2-3 times a week and he’s been happy - he says he likes the caregivers, food, and the other residents. He has been very engaged in activities and with other residents.

But 2 weeks ago, he punched a resident out of the blue for no reason. He hasn’t been argumentative or difficult before or after that. He did not remember doing it immediately after it happened. They figured he must have been startled. Then, last week it happened again. No precipitating event and no recollection right away. He has memory loss but not like that - it was like a blackout. Other than the two random punches, they say he has been calm, cooperative, not agitated or anything.

The nurse sent him to the ER where they ran tests (CBC, urine, metabolic, hepatic, covid, ecg, drug tests, etc). All normal. The ER sent him to a mental health facility that specializes in dementia, and the doctor there already knows my FIL well (he’s also the doctor for the MC). We expected to hear that it was normal progression of dementia, but the doc said that it is unusual. He has been calm and cooperative there, and is not on any meds except an antibiotic in case he has a hidden infection. They are running more tests, neurological and scans. Another new symptom is he is dragging his foot, is unsteady, and can barely walk. He also has been very cold. This started around the same time as the first punch. He was scheduled to go back to MC this week, but the doctor is going to keep him over the weekend and try to figure out what is going on. Fortunately, they said he does know why he’s there. He still does not remember what happened but he believes them that it happened and he feels really bad.

Meanwhile, the MC just had their first case of covid, a staffer. So even if my FIL goes back he would be facing 2 weeks of being stuck in his room. Ugh. This facility normally allows family to come and go, and has not required vaccines for residents or visitors. I hope that doesn’t change permanently. The only requirement until recently is temp checks. Last week they started asking if visitors have been around covid and prohibited kids under 12 because covid has ramped up in our area.

Good to hear he is out of the hospital. Not so good about his memory, etc.

So many are getting UTIs in the hospital these days. Wonder why?

Petting a horse would make anyone’s day!

Thank you!

In my FIL’s case, my suspicion is that they did not stay on him to drink water like they do at the memory care (or like we did when he lived here). You have to stand there and watch him drink it, otherwise he would just take a sip and pour it down the sink if you walked away.

This was a mental health / dementia facility so his level of one-on-one care was not as good.

In the hospital, I don’t know. Maybe cleaning issues? After my older son had brain surgery (as a teen), the cleaning staff came through with the same mob bucket, room to room. After I saw that the first time, I went behind them and wiped everything with germicidal wipes, and put some on the ground and used my feet to wipe the floor with them too. You cannot imagine how dirty those wipes were!

Hospitals and doctors’ offices are the worst. I had one doctor come out of the restroom zipping his pants up.

Never understood mopping in the first place. It just spreads the gunk everywhere. Dirty water everywhere. No one has come up with a better mouse trap though.

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