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Elderly parents

Dad fell in hospital

30 replies

Annonmum1974 · 22/07/2025 21:35

Has anyone had experience of elderly relatives in hospital - Dad was admitted with shingles lives with Alzheimer’s but it’s manageable with care at home and in the moderate stages (time confusion handling of finances etc gone) - since being in hospital he’s been administered with OxyContin and pregablin spends most of his time disorientated and far more confused asking why dead relatives haven’t been in and thinks he’s anywhere but hospital and also had issues with AKi since being in there (acute kidney injury) aka dehydration. I cannot fault the efforts of the drs and nurses but there are of course simply not enough - they seem to think my dad has the brain capacity to push a buzzer for help but the poor man is so delirious he hasn’t a clue where he is at the moment - his mental capacity has changed so much in a week. When I was told he managed to somehow get up from his bed and fall whilst heading to the bathroom and was possibly lying there for an hour my heart broke but I’m also whacking my head on a wall - I keep explaining that he is so confused he doesn’t know where he is but nothing is happening and it’s going to happen again - I don’t know why I’m posting really - just frustrated and feel like it’s the worse place he could be at the moment and it’s heart breaking - food just left in front of him which he sees but can’t manage alone now and fluid intake isn’t happening unless im there - it seriously feels like you have to be there constantly just to keep an eye on them and make sure they aren’t neglected - I’ve repeated repeated and repeated myself but my goodness it’s frustrating and upsetting up there

OP posts:
Annonmum1974 · 22/07/2025 21:50

I am so sorry for your experience too - I guess we just dont realise how broken elderly care is until we are in it - it’s just upsetting to see how after long lives they are being left in such a state - I’ve found my dad sat in his own mess, pills left out in front of him not taken - it’s neglectful and there’s nothing you can do but speak out but then there’s nobody able to change it from what I can see.

OP posts:
Beachtastic · 22/07/2025 21:46

So sorry you are going through this OP, it's a proper shitshow isn't it.

Falls in the elderly can be catastrophic. My dad was never the same again after his. There can be a bit of a "chicken and egg" thing going on, in that it is possible a ministroke caused the fall and thus diminished his mental capacity, but it is also possible that he was deeply disorientated by finding himself in an unfamilar environment. In the case of your dad, the powerful drugs they're giving him will also be complicating things.Even a UTI at that age can cause delirium, so a kidney injury is also likely to be making things worse.

I wish I could have wrapped my dad in cotton wool and ensured he was cared for beautifully to the end of his life, but in reality things didn't really work out that way as care decisions had to be made quickly based on what was available at the time. My only consolation is that he was confused enough not to really understand the position he was in, although I'll never really know.

The thing about food and liquid intake with dementia of any kind is that the area of the brain that controls appetite no longer operates as it normally does. There also comes a point where fluid intake is not properly absorbed by the body and just causes complications.

Things might get a bit messy from here on, I'm afraid. All I managed to do was visit him as often as I could (although that was exhausting for a million reasons) and tell him I loved him, and know that he understood. I wish it was different, I really do, and that I could give you more positive advice. Maybe someone else will. Good luck 💗

Beautifulsunflowers · 22/07/2025 21:44

Is there a dementia team at the hospital that can support him?
sounds shocking doesn’t it? That food just sits in front of him? That he’s not drinking?
I would escalate your concerns to the ward manager firstly or PALS.

justasking111 · 22/07/2025 21:43

Can you get him into a residential home, the care will be better.

faffadoodledo · 22/07/2025 21:40

I can only express sympathy and empathy I’m afraid. The same happened to both my parents. It makes me upset and furious to think of it. Older people just not getting the care they need and deserve in hospital - the most basic care at that: eating and drinking fgs.
Youre doing your best. Keep doing it, and showing your dad how much you love him x