Posted on 08/31/2021 12:07:55 PM PDT by LilFarmer
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.
Anyway, sorry, that is long. I appreciate your prayers.
Prayers sent to you and your family 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
More prayers for Frank’s health and healing !
Prayers up.
Thanks for the update on your FIL. Prayers continue. God bless.
Update on Frank:
I appreciate your prayers. Frank has been stabilized and my husband was able to pick him up today to take him back to memory care.
He had subclinical pneumonia and also developed a UTI while he was at the hospital, which made his stay longer. They got that taken care of but it did not help the aggression, so they had to start him on some meds to stabilize those behaviors. So far, they seem to be working, so he could be released.
Hubby said he seemed good. He was confused at first, he didn’t know my husband or what was going on, but after they got in the car, DH started talking about things he had good memories of and he settled in and carried on a conversation. He remembered my husband then, and his other children, etc. At the memory care, my husband had to reacquaint him with his apartment (he had no memory of it at all). The caregivers all hugged him and told him that they were glad he was back. They had therapy horses there today so he got to pet some horses, lol. He seemed in a good mood and laughed some.
Physically, he’s still frail but he was walking better.
Long story short, all of this appears to be a worsening of his dementia, sadly. His care at the center will have to be more involved there now. We are not sure he is able to dress or bathe himself, but he seems to still be continent. From the description, it sounds like he is at stage 6 now. Hopefully, the new meds will keep him calm.
It’s hard. His dementia progression has always been steps down then plateaus. Now, the decline seems very rapid.
Fortunately, only the one person that had covid, everyone else tested negative so they were able to lift visitation restrictions and we can go back to visiting him every other day which is good. We really missed seeing him at the hospital.
THanks again for your prayers!
Thank you for the update and mostly good news about Frank. It sounds like things are much improved, if still quite worrisome. It will be good for you to be able to visit, as then you will at least feel like you know more how he is doing from day to day.
Will continue to pray for your family.
Praise God for He is good!
Prayers continue.
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Thanks for the update on Frank. My prayers are with you all. God bless.
Thanks for taking the time to update us.
More prayers up for you and yours as well as Frank.
Thank you for the update. Prayers continue for your FIL and your family.
Praying for Frank, that this will be another plateau, and that he will enjoy a few stable months before entering the next stage.
Sounds like he is ina very good care center, where the staff know him and love him.
Thanks for the update. Continued prayers for Frank.
It is a good place, we have been very happy and when he’s cognizant, Frank speaks highly of it.
The caregivers have been like family to us. When the nurse called us about sending Frank to the ER, she was almost in tears. They really care. I send them cookies regularly and flowers from time to time.
We did likewise when my husband was in Memory Care.
We brought in homemade goodies, very good chocolates, fruit baskets, and put lottery tickets in their Christmas stockings, etc.
We couldn’t thank them enough for their kindness.
Praying for your dear FIL, Frank, that the days you have left with him will be sweet, enjoy and treasure every moment.
I know you have been very faithful in caring for him for many years.
Praying prayers of comfort for you and your dear hubby.
I know how hard this is, your FIL’s story sounds very familiar.
My older sister had dementia and then in the last few years of her life Alzheimer’s, she went home to be with our Lord and Savior last January, many loved ones were there to welcome her.
Frequent UTI’s would have her unsteady and she would just fall over, sometimes hurting herself, a very sweet loving person her whole life would just all of a sudden lash out.
My dear BIL struggled to care for her at home and after the last time she fell, tore up her ankle and had to have surgery he and the family were looking into a MC.
I feel that the Lord was merciful as he called her home as she was convalescing in rehab.
Take care of yourself and your dear hubby, you have my continued prayers.
Thank you 🤗 and sorry your family had to go through this as well.
You’re welcome.
I don’t venture off the TFT that often and I had not seen your thread before now.
I did remember that you had to place your FIL in MC but am so sorry to hear of his fast progression.
Would you give an update on Frank on the TFT when you update your thread, please.
I know that many there would lift him up in prayer too.
I will, thank you! I meant to do it when I posted the thread, but forgot!
Appreciate your update. My prayers continue for him and all of you.
Prayers continue.
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