My grandmother was fine the other night when she went to bed. A few hours later she was groaning and woke me up. She appeared to be restless and had her covers twisted. She didn't want me to leave the room but I desperately needed sleep - in my own bed. I ended up having her go to her recliner and I left her there with a snack that usually soothes her to sleep, but she was clearly "off."
In the morning, she could not stand up by herself. She could not walk far before her legs started giving out. I held her as she went down to the ground. Since she said her knee was bothering her, I assumed it was arthritis acting up. Over the last 48 hrs, she's been walking better after receiving Tylenol and a heating pad on the knee, but she's still off. She's takes Xarelto so she's very limited as to what pain medication she can take. Apparently she's not even supposed to take CBD, which is rather unfortunate.
I have an appointment scheduled to see a primary care physician Tuesday morning. I'm concerned that her walking issues are not solely because of arthritis. I believe it's linked to her behavior being "off." When I talk to her, I get a lot of "huh" or "what" in return. It's almost like she's lost some hearing, but that's certainly not the issue. She's getting confused in the bathroom about the order in which she should do things. And instead of keeping both hands on her walker, she keeps placing one on the counter when she's walking. She says things that don't quite make sense. It's not hugely noticeable, but it's enough to make me concerned.
Is there something linked to dementia that would cause these two issues to occur at the same time (the walking issues with being "off")? I wonder if she had a mini-stroke. Or maybe she still has a UTI from a few weeks ago. She is extra smelly and I just gave her a bath, but it could be her diapers. She's really wetting in them now.
Her appetite is good, she's always hungry. I've been having trouble getting her to drink all her beverages since this incident started. She's also sleeping more than usual, which is pretty much 22 hrs a day. She's also in a deeper sleep than usual.
Is there a test or something I should make sure the doctor does? Is this a sign the end is near? If she can't get up on her own or at least help me by putting in some effort, then she won't be able to stay with me. I can't lift her by myself.
Suggestions? Anything?
The doctor wasn't overly concerned. He thinks it may be a UTI and prescribed antibiotics without a urine test. He ran some other blood work (kidneys, electrolytes) and that's within normal, nothing to be concerned about at this time.
He said she doesn't need to be hospitalized, but if she worsens then we should either take her to the hospital or call an ambulance.
All she does is sleep. She eats ok, if she can stay awake. I cannot get her to drink enough. The antibiotic is supposed to be taken with an 8 oz. glass of water and I had to nag, nag, nag her this morning.
I'm worried. And sometimes I feel like doctors know things and they don't tell us. I realize she will die at some point, and I'm ok with that because she's not here anyways because of the dementia. If the doctor suspects this may be the end, I'd like to know so I can be prepared. I've had this happen with my dogs and the whole thing sucks. It's the stress of it that bothers me, because usually I'm already emotionally prepared. That might be weird to a lot of people, but I handle my emotions different than the average person.
F.A.S.T:
Face - any drooping?
Arms - Can she lift both arms or squeeze both hands evenly?
Speech - Slurred? Confused?
Time - get to hospital if any of above rings alarm bells