Why does the nursing home change my mothers medication?

Correction: NOT all doctors have given up on the elderly. You just have to find the compassionate doctor. Then, you also have to deal with insurance that says: Not covered. Not Covered. Not Covered.

I don't want to be negative but my dad and I agree on his theory. When dad was still "up to par" (he's now becoming age-related senile), he had so much problem getting doctors to treat Alzheimer mom's medical problems. He always said that the doctors have given up on mom. He was always the one who had to tell them to give her blood works to find her problem instead of just giving her an "overall" bag of IV antibiotics and then try to release her from the hospital or clinic. Sure enough, the blood works come back - she had bladder infection, her blood was poisoned, etc...Doctors have given up on the elderly - but they won't tell you this. If you want something done for your parent, then you will have to actively and persistently advocate for them. It will get frustrating because it's just you against the medical concepts of elderly care. (Recently, there was a news on an elderly patient getting a transplant. People objected because he's old and only has a limited years to live. He's already lived his life to the full. Therefore, the objectors said that the organ should go to a younger candidate who still has so many years to live.) This is a public concept of what you're all dealing with when it comes to elderly care. Therefore, if you want something done, you will have to insist on your elderly parent's behalf.

I am sorry to write this but my experience is this, my mother is in an assisted living home she has Dementia they said they knew how to handle her care but I found out they put her in a recliner chair so she could not wander out the door when the aide was in the toilet with someone else( there is only one aide). Well mom tried to climb out and the chair fell on top of her she hurt her knee and they shrugged it off like mom was faking being hurt. They never told me, this happened again but this time my mother got a very big lump on her forehead and a cut which required stitches they called the doctor who came and took care of her, they never told me I found out a week later when I picked up my mother for a visit and saw the lump, they lied to me covered it up the doctor did the same thing. The facility took mom to her doctor apt because I was having court problems getting guardianship of mom during that visit the doctor decides to put mom on Prozac and Risperidol at least they told me about this I refused to allow it and then the doctor told me to find a new doctor for my mom, she has had him for over 10 years, he didn't like me controlling how he was treating her. I asked my doctor to except her as a patient which was great at the time but and this is the kicker, she has diabetes and slowly she has been taken off all of those meds and her blood sugars are out of whac 286, 233, 112,78, up and downI know that is bad for a diabetic's health. The doctor keeps saying everything is good with her blood work she doesn't examine her very good then she had said to my husband on his visit when he asked about his diabetic medication being lowered he mentioned moms sugar going up and down..... the DOCTOR said at her age (she is 82) she doesn't need to worry about her blood sugar that closely, and anyway she has Dementia she doesn't know what is going on. When my husband came home and told me that I was shocked it seems to me that the doctors are trying to give the elderly more damage to their systems on purpose blaming the patient for anything that goes wrong. I am currently looking for a new doctor but this is such a small town you can't say anything bad about anyone it backfires on yourself. Keep a close watch on your moms care God Bless you both are in my prayers.

I am so sorry you are having this experience, here4her66. Your mother is truly blessed to have you as her advocate.

I am dealing with this myself. My mother has dementia and is living in a NH. Recently she had a set back and they sent her to the hospital,senior behavorial wing, so that they could evaluate her and adjust her meds. After 15 days there she was brought back to the NH. The hospital told me that she was doing well and her meds were adjusted where they needed to be and that they should not be touched. Maybe after a couple months they may need to be tweaked but that is all. Not just because she has wandered in to another residents room. My mom has been back at the NH for about 3 weeks now and I received a phone call late last night from them. They told me they were changing her meds...again. I was furious. When I asked them why I was told that she had wandered into another residents room. I asked them if this was a one time event or was there a pattern of concern. No, just that night. I put my foot down and told them that she had just returned from the hospital and had been doing well and I didn't want her meds touched! I told them that she was an elderly patient with dementia and wandering was part of the disease. I also suggested to them that it sounded like maybe this was there way of "handling" my mom so they wouldn't have to be bothered. I also told them that they are suppose to call me before any decisions are made regarding her meds. I told the NH that everytime you "adjust" her meds she seems to have a set back, a yo-yo effect. Maybe if the NH were staffed a little better they could actually have more interaction with their dementia residents instead of relying on medication. I had the hospital send me a copy of all the medications that they have her on and I keep it close.

CrystalBtrfly thanx for your reply. I am always on a mission when it comes to Mom's care... up thier butts in fact. There are fatal side effects I am sure they are concerned about. I just want Mom to be as confortable and safe as possible.

wuvsicecream, My advice is for you to speak with your mom's doctor asap, in person would be best. You definitely deserve an explaination about whats going on.

I don't have someone in an NH, and after listening to all the horror stories about medications at my support group, I know that if I ever do, I'm in for a challenge to my advocating skills.

There are no drugs developed for LBD, but several drugs developed for other purposes work very well. In other words, all of the LBD medications are used "off label." This seems to be a huge source of misunderstandings in NHs. One caregiver was extremely frustrated that they would not give his wife a drug ordered "as needed," because they insisted she did not have the symptoms that the drug was for. But she did have the symptoms the drug was prescribed for her use for and for which it had worked well at home. She did not have the "on label" symptoms, but the LBD symptom she did had responded well to that drug IF she would be given the dang drug!

Another NH wouldn't give the caregiver's mother a prescribed drug because "we don't use that here. It increases risk of falling."

omg Yes indeed. If my hubby ever goes to a NH I'm immediately going to take a very close interest in administration of his drugs. Not that I know I can be successful. It is extremely interesting hearing these things as a bystander. I can't imagine what you are feeling!

jeannegibbs Thanx for your comment! and understanding my frustration.Well this is exactly what I mean. You can't fix the dementia, and so quality of life is all that's left to worry about. So I think Mom's stability should be a good enough sign of what is working to reach that goal. I once let them take her to rock bottom, then they were asking me how to deal with her, AFTER, I warned them about taking her off or reduceing that med. and why she was put on them in the first place. I see the signs long before they do because I know my Mother. I don't want them to over medicate so she's easier to deal with I just want Mom to be as happy and as normal as possable.
Yes I have all my bases covered as far as communication on Mom's behalf ...infact I'm am sick of the boommerang effect, I throw it out there it comes right back as if I am telling them for the first time. That is why I am asking this here. I don't get it!!! I know it may harm her in the long run but lets face it she's not living a perfect full life anyway. I know younger people who are overdosed on meds and living that way and really don't know or care about the harmful effects, when I think they are getting worse not better.

They have to? What? I assume they have a doctor's orders, right? Why would a doctor do that? It is a known fact that dementia is not going to be cured. It isn't as if she might have gotten well and doesn't need the pills anymore. Are you medical POA? Can you have a talk with the doctor? This just seems too weird.