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Elderly parents

Aging parent and covid

4 replies

Longhairf · 02/08/2024 20:17

My mother is in her early 70s. Over the past few years there has been some behavioural, mood and waning comprehension. I reckons there is the onset of dementia with her but it hasn't been diagnosised because it's not presenting with typical forgetfulness. Shes doing stuff that's not making sense at times. She can become extremely combative over the smallest of things.

I'm down with covid this week. I live at home with her. I did my best to isolate in my room since testing positive and inwesr masks in common areas.

This evening she was coughing. Not only that she also has a headache. She was shopping today and she's blaming the headache on a day in town. She's blaming her cough on getting wet in the rain.

I am anxious that it could be covid. I mean like I have covid. The fact she's showing symptoms.

Only time will tell.

Is it a case of just letting this run it's course? My mother is never going to isolate. She doesn't really comprehend the importance of manners and covering coughs and sneezes. If she deteriorates over night, I am wondering if I should phone him in the morning and ask him to stay away or he will definitely get sick.

She was shocked at me getting covid because she thought it was gone away. That's her comprehension. She really doesn't understand not to cough on others. She's someone who's coughing openly.

What is the plan of action. Should she go on paxlovid due to her age? We are at the start of a weekend. Should I phone an out of hours GP tomorrow if she deteriorates? She has high blood pressure and meds for that. Would she be a candidate for paxlovid? Or will she need to go to the hospital for an IV anti viral. If she gets worse I will phone an out of hours doctor.

There's so much happening.

Should I do a home test on her now?

I tested positive straight away within two days of my possible exposure. My friend took all week to test positive.

I don't usually go by tests, me personally. When I found a high and stubborn fever I kinda knew it was likely covid but I tested just to confirm. My friend was sick and even though her tests were negative, I highly suspected it was covid.

With my mother, I do think this is covid. Her exposure was likely Wednesday morning when I was chatting (and coughing into my arm) in the kitchen.

OP posts:
EmotionalBlackmail · 02/08/2024 20:32

Who is the him you'd ask to stay away?

Surely you see how it goes? If her temperature goes sky high and she develops concerning symptoms then phone the NHS non-emergency number. Or 999 if it's really bad.

You could at least try and convince her not to go out so it doesn't get passed on to anyone else.

She's presumably not old enough to have had the most recent booster?

www.nhs.uk/medicines/paxlovid/who-can-and-cannot-take-paxlovid/

EmotionalBlackmail · 02/08/2024 20:36

It doesn't sound like she'd meet the criteria for Paxlovid.

SnapdragonToadflax · 02/08/2024 20:39

I assume she's had all her vaccinations? If so she should be ok, just keep an eye on her. It does sound like she's starting to suffer from dementia - my parents are in their late 70s and I don't recognise the cognitive decline you talk about at all.

They had Covid recently and were fine - a nasty cold, but fully recovered within two weeks.

Flopsythebunny · 02/08/2024 21:56

Longhairf · 02/08/2024 20:17

My mother is in her early 70s. Over the past few years there has been some behavioural, mood and waning comprehension. I reckons there is the onset of dementia with her but it hasn't been diagnosised because it's not presenting with typical forgetfulness. Shes doing stuff that's not making sense at times. She can become extremely combative over the smallest of things.

I'm down with covid this week. I live at home with her. I did my best to isolate in my room since testing positive and inwesr masks in common areas.

This evening she was coughing. Not only that she also has a headache. She was shopping today and she's blaming the headache on a day in town. She's blaming her cough on getting wet in the rain.

I am anxious that it could be covid. I mean like I have covid. The fact she's showing symptoms.

Only time will tell.

Is it a case of just letting this run it's course? My mother is never going to isolate. She doesn't really comprehend the importance of manners and covering coughs and sneezes. If she deteriorates over night, I am wondering if I should phone him in the morning and ask him to stay away or he will definitely get sick.

She was shocked at me getting covid because she thought it was gone away. That's her comprehension. She really doesn't understand not to cough on others. She's someone who's coughing openly.

What is the plan of action. Should she go on paxlovid due to her age? We are at the start of a weekend. Should I phone an out of hours GP tomorrow if she deteriorates? She has high blood pressure and meds for that. Would she be a candidate for paxlovid? Or will she need to go to the hospital for an IV anti viral. If she gets worse I will phone an out of hours doctor.

There's so much happening.

Should I do a home test on her now?

I tested positive straight away within two days of my possible exposure. My friend took all week to test positive.

I don't usually go by tests, me personally. When I found a high and stubborn fever I kinda knew it was likely covid but I tested just to confirm. My friend was sick and even though her tests were negative, I highly suspected it was covid.

With my mother, I do think this is covid. Her exposure was likely Wednesday morning when I was chatting (and coughing into my arm) in the kitchen.

Does your mother have a condition that would entitle her to anti virals ?

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