Find Senior Care (City or Zip)
Join Now Log In
M
Momzindl Asked December 11, 2023

Dad fell and fractured his hip and is now very delirius. He probably has dementia.

He is trying to take his clothes off and is agitated and trying to get up and leave the hospital. Im his daughter. I wonder if he will improve. He is yelling and I’ve never seen him like this ever before.


 


On top of that his wife, who tells him two days before he fell getting groceries (I asked his wife to please go with him. She doesn’t go) tells him, “stop
pmaying hunny, you know you don’t need a walker, you can run. She jokes with his confusing brain. They lives in Florida. I live in nc. My sister lives in ny. We are all over the place. How can we help him? Has Anyone else gone through this?

Geaton777 Dec 12, 2023
Hospital delirium is a thing. If your Dad had surgery and therefore anesthesia, this could cause temporary cognitive problems or worsen existing ones. Other causes can be from whatever pain meds he is being given. Or a UTI. Or, if he isn't keeping an IV in and not drinking enough, he could be getting dehydrated. Work on the issues that can be tested for (UTI) and prevented (have someone there to encourage him to drink fluids).

Also, the wife should not be caring for him if she's saying stupid stuff to him and not realizing/caring about the impact. WIth your Dad out of their house, you may begin to see signs that she is not capable of living by herself. Been there, done that with my MIL, when her husband (with Parkinsons) fell in the grocery store parking lot and was in rehab for 3 weeks. Then we clearly saw her very significant short-term memory loss problem. Do NOT let your Dad go back to his house is she's going to be "managing" him.

AlvaDeer Dec 12, 2023
Your Dad is, I would assume in the hospital. Both his injury and the hospitalization will bring on some hospital psychosis. You can't know how long lasting that will be.

Of course none of you can do a thing from another state.
Who has the intention of going now to visit? Your sister? You?
Are there step children there, or just his wife?
This is a time for family support if there can be any. But your Dad will likely now be in care for some time with hospitalization followed by rehab. It will be up to his hospital team to manage his confusion now.

Who is the POA? Is that the wife? Set up a phone tree. She is not going to be able to talk to you all all the time. Set up a way to get information from the person with rights to have medical POA and GET the information. Otherwise this will descend into he-said, she-said and further confusion.

ADVERTISEMENT


Beatty Dec 12, 2023
Delerium from #hip is normal. As is delerium from strong pain meds. Also from hip surgery.

You may not have seen your Dad like this before but I can assure you hospital staff in an orthopeadic ward see this every week.

No denying it is awful.

One step at a time. See what the hip repair plans are.

Southernwaver Dec 11, 2023
When my DH’s grandmother fell and broke her hip, this happened but it was because she entered the process of dying.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/terminal-restlessness-1132271

waytomisery Dec 11, 2023
My sister has had hospital delerium twice this year. It’s common . This last time she was given Seroquel for it . She is better now that she is home . Although she also has vascular dementia , so she’s not totally good to begin with .

lealonnie1 Dec 11, 2023
My father had terrible hospital delirium after he fractured his hip at 90 and had surgery to repair it. He was Sundowning too, and my daughter spent the night with him at the hospital for the entire time he was there to keep him calm. He was fine after he got back home when rehab was over..no dementia or Sundowning remained. Your dad should not be grocery shopping anymore. Get Wal Mart online home delivery and tell his wife to cut the crap.

BarbBrooklyn Dec 11, 2023
Who has Power of Attorney for your dad? Who is his health care proxy?

It sounds like dad can't make decisions for himself right now.

Google "hospital dementia"--it's pretty common. Also, a Urinary Tract Infection can cause delirium. Please make sure his urine is tested and cultured for that.
BarbBrooklyn Dec 12, 2023
I meant hospital delerium--i think spell check got me!
againx100 Dec 11, 2023
Sorry your dad fractured his hip. Going under for surgery can often make people delirious. It can take some time for the meds to get out of their systems and they often, not always, return to their baseline. Or maybe a little below. It varies from person to person.

His wife sounds like a piece of work. Does he have his paperwork in order? Will, living will, POA, etc.? Is she loco or just obnoxious? I don't know how old she is but telling him he can run just seems bizarre.

I would strongly encourage dad to go to rehab when he can leave the hospital. If his wife can't properly care for him, he may need to be placed at the type of facility appropriate for him at this time.

Best of luck.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ask a Question

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter