Anyone with experience with Risperdal?

It varies from state to state also, but unless a person is really DANGEROUS...like actively cutting on themselves, or threatening to kill someone or something like that, or has not plan in place to care for them selves, it's usually difficult to hold someone, for lots of reasons. In California it's called the lanterman petris short act, and many states have similar. Having a plan in place ...having a place to go, a way to get fed, like that. If someone is losing their housing because of an incontinence issue, ask to talk to the hospital ombudsman ..there may be some resources in your local area that can help you find other suitable housing prior to discharge....IF they need to turn around and go back tomorrow, then so be it...a paper trail sometimes helps. But as Babalou just said, sometimes it's also time to let go at a certain point and let the system work...frustrating as it is. But if it happens again, and they are really truly being kicked out of their home, ask for the ombudsman and explain that.

Dear Sorry; here's the thing. There comes a time in dealing the a parent or LO with dementia where you can't let the "I hate what you're doing to me" get to you. It's like making a small child get to bed when they are over-tired....you have to take charge. My mother is pretty docile, but every once in a while she says to me "stop treating me like a child". I don't get angry. I say to her mom, I'm sorry that you feel like I'm treating you like a child. What I'm doing is giving you two choices; this is what I do in situations where there are only a limited number of safe choices. My job right now is to keep you safe. So there are your choices. Having watched several relatives lose their health, their livelihoods and mental stability trying to reason with demented relatives, I would , in a minute, step away from managing my mom's health care if she became unreasonable and accusatory. not because I don't love her, but because I don't have the skill set or resources to deal with someone who is not in the reality.

I was hoping they'd keep her for 72 hours. I think they most likely were short on space. My husband has been there for the last 48 hours going from hospital to nursing home to mental hospital. His father is currently throwing a fit and says they're holding him against his will. They told him he does not have medical clearance to leave . He needs to be able to walk to the bathroom and pea unassisted . He had a mini stroke. He is mad at my husband for not helping him bust out. Oh geeze!

go to patients like me and look at folks who take risperdone. it's prescribed for a LOT of different things....The doctor was obviously treating the symptom that they saw at the time, which was the most crucial....and based on what you are saying, sounds to me like this might help. But some of the folks who take it for other reasons can describe the side effects and how they cope. Might help make her more comfortable.

Sorry this hit all of a sudden. From what you are describing on this email, and not having been there to see it, other than being incredibly disruptive for all concerned, one good thing is, that even at county hospitals, a patient needs to be seen by someone with a license in order to prescribe medication. If the doctors who prescribed it had a list of her medications and conditions, they picked something that has helped others in situations that you are describing with your MIL.

It works be slowing down the receptors in the brain that cause a person to become agitated, and afraid, and delays the need for them to get as combative, because it can be calming.

The thing is, that I agree with you, it doesn't make sense that people get rushed in and out of the system so fast. People really do need more time.

At the same time, a dementia evaluation really takes several different kinds of tests, that often are not as accurate when someone is in such acute distress as what you are saying here.

Many times, it helps to calm a person by returning them to their regular surroundings as soon as possible.

So, it can have side effects....dry mouth, sleepiness, sort of feeling "a little too calm" (zoned out) AT FIRST.....however..these are usually temporary, and after a week or two or so should start to really normalize. The trick with this med is to keep taking it, because it has a fairly short half life, and when a person stops taking it, the side effects start all over again, instead of lessening over time.

Hopefully she has a follow up appointment and they will be monitoring her dose, and then, as you suggested, getting her scheduled for testing.

Best of luck.

So, Risperdal is an antipsychotic (i.e., helps with disordered thought processes). Clearly, someone "got" that MIL had disordered thinking!

there are lots of protections around taking away the rights of folks, elderly and otherwise, who display disordered thinking.

What would you like to see happen? Do you want MIL and FIL to have a higher level of care? what is YOUR level of responsiblity for them right now?

Unless you are their guardian, you are not repsonsible, legally for their well being. You are responsible for carrying out THEIR wishes, if you have POA.

If you find that their wishes are of detriment to them, I would resign POA in an orderly and legal fashion, call APS and tell them that these folks are vulnerable adults. But that's me. My feeling is, if I don't have the right to put them where they are safe, then the City/County/State is going to have to step up to take that responsibility.

Sadly, many of us have to step back in order to get our elders the help they need.