D & V in the elderly

[caz1010]

Posted before on dementia board about my nan who has been taken into a care home due to dementia.

On Tuesday she was ill with D & V. No more since Tuesday evening but she is now laid up in bed and sleeping most of the time.

despite being 86 she is very well physically and only last week we were out shopping, chatting and laughing. This is really pilot of character.

as other residents of the home have had the bug the staff don't seem too bothered and think nan is not so much milking the illness but over reacting.

I'm not sure if these 3 days spent sleeping are just her being elderly and taking longer to get over the bug or if I should be really worried.
nan did say yesterday she thinks it's the end and no one is telling her but that could be the dementia confusing her.

Don't know if I'm asking for help / advise or just writing my concerns down. so upset and feel helpless

In my experience, any illness can really knock people with dementia for six, and it takes a week or more for them to recover generally from it.

I'd give it a couple more days, and if your nan isn't any better, then ask for her GP to see her and check

D and v is bloody horrible. I am fit, healthy and young and the first time I had Norovirus I felt like I was dying. It took me more than a day to recover. I also lost 5kg.

If it was anything like that then I wouldn't worry. She will just need to recover. She's 86. If she wants to milk it, she's earned that right

Sounds like it's really knocked her for six, which is understandable.
Main thing is to make sure she isn't de-hydrated, from the original D&V and now sleeping all day.
If I were you ,I would ask the nurses to complete a fluid balance chart for a few days, if they aren't already and ask to see it when you visit/ask how intake has been if you speak to them over the phone.
If you feel they aren't bothered, it may make them be a little bit more pro-active if you keep asking .