Hi Rick,
I know it’s been a while but I wanted to let you know what
has been happening. Health wise your mom is fine. We arranged for an
appointment with Dr. Antenucci as part of our wellness check and her BP med,
Atenolol was discontinued because she was not feeling well on it. It is
becoming more difficult for her to go to Kaiser with caregivers. She is very
vocal and resentful and cannot understand how “we can all be against her when
she is capable of going by herself.” We just stand our ground and gently
explain the department’s need for safety.
As you know Mr. Segal is now a permanent resident in our
skilled nursing unit which has very much upset your mom’s routine and also
saddens her very much. I’m attributing her increased confusion and paranoia (
nurses and staff are all against her) to this event. Her apartment if left
unattended by our staff, looks like her independent apt before she moved in. We
are not allowed to move a thing or else she starts to yell at us. We try very
hard not to be confrontational but just going about our day to day routine is
perceived as we are (against her) and she becomes extremely agitated.
My staff really likes Bruni very much and tries to
diffuse the situation but it is sometimes better to just let it go. I
don’t think that there is any medication that will change this behavior it is
just a progression of her cognitive decline. She still manages to take care of
her personal needs and has a steady gait when she walks. She was visiting
Bob in Skilled Nursing almost everyday, which I felt gave her a purpose but she
no longer does that.
My comments are in no way are ulterior but just
informational as an update. Feel free to call or email at any time.
Thanks, Sela
Thank you Sela. The last couple of times I spoke to my Mom they were fairly difficult conversations, with some elements of what you mention, although some other moments of good lucidity.
ReplyDeleteSela, I really wonder whether my mom is depressed, and if so whether she can get any help for that. I'm certainly no expert but have discussed her situation and reactions with several people and that seems to be a consensus.
Anyway, I continue to be thankful and appreciative for your efforts and those of all the staff.
Thanks, Rick
From Sela:
ReplyDeleteHi Rick,
That is certainly a conversation I can have with Dr. Antenucci regarding possible depression. The problem is your mom knows exactly how many pills she takes everyday and is very unhappy taking anything; it is more paranoia on her part that we are give her medications that makes her feel poorly. It is often a struggle to get her to take her meds. Perhaps we can arrange for a phone conference to discuss this. Email me when you have some dates in mind and lets talk about it.
Thanks, Sela