My 75 year old mom fell and broke her pelvis. Before the fall she was doing everything on her own. She was doing PT and making progress. She then went to another inpatient PT and started going down hill fast. Was refusing PT and had some serious cognitive decline. Started talking about how all her bones are broken and everyone hurts her. She had 2 emergency room visits when she was there one for falling out of bed which luckily nothing else was broke. The second one was She was screaming in pain about her stomach. She was completely out of her head and talking nonsense talking about her childhood dog and acting like she was petting him. She then went on too say she has 2 buttholes where poop comes out. The ER doctor basically said she was on too much baclofen and was dehydrated causing the mental state she was in. She was admitted for observation and discharged the next day. The place for PT basically said she was good to go home that she was walking with aids by her side and can dress herself and told us to basically check in on her once a day. My sister and I were in shock and scrambled to find a place for her to go because she was still 24/7 care. We got her into a respite assisted living facility with a furnished apartment. She completely freaked out and was scared which is usual for the elderly. Thought it would be a good fit for her but 4 days later we got a call with her going to the emergency room because she refused to even try to walk and lashed out and tried to hit nurses and aids. She was completely delusional at the ER and saying inappropriate things and screaming and trying to make herself fall out of the bed. All the test and scans came back normal and she was admitted to the hospital where she has been for a week. No Doctors have said anything about Dementia or Delerium as she is still not right in the head and I don't think she ever will be. It's almost as if she needs a geriatric pysch ward at this point but the hospital is basically giving us a list of nursing homes with PT as they just want to pass her off to someone else. We are afraid this will happen again at the next place and we will be right back in ER again. Has anyone had to deal with this? Please Help Thanks.
Or was she really not fine before the fall happened, and was actually showing signs of dementia which went unnoticed by family members?
This is a tough situation for sure, and your mom needs to be in full-time care until it is determined exactly what is going on with her, and a geriatric psych ward may just need to be the next step.
Such infections can mimic dementia, and cause loud outbursts. Mom would need to go to her primary doctor, or even an urgent care, and they can get the results while you wait. The test is easy (some what for a woman) peeing in a cup. If your Mom is in a nursing home, they can run a test.
Bet your Mom had delirium which is common for people no matter what their age when they are in a hospital. My own Mom (97 yrs old) had that after a fall and while she as in the hospital she was talking to her own Dad and reaching out for him.
First thing I will tell you is that falls are often the beginning of the end. One was for my own Mom and I was an RN and the time. However, mom was in her 90s, so this was not entirely unexpected. One fall backward into the tub gave her another torturous 6 months of pnemonia, bladder infections, urinary retention, more infections, mental changes, finally admittance into LTC on Hospice where she passed very quickly.
Your mom, however, is two decades younger. No time to give up until you understand what's happening here.
You are correct and informed and are already aware of the constant moving around hospital to different rehabs to respite to hospital is causing/may cause Hospital induced psychosis/delirium. And that there are medication problems and reactions.
The other thing you are dealing with in the pelvis is that it is one of the single most painful things you can break. There is pain EVERYwhere. Abdomen, back, slightest move to do anything, bowels back up, you can't walk, then there are other complications. It is a true crucible and needs the best of rehab, the most careful and constant movement soon as you are able. The need for medications for pain further complicates things. Just very tough.
I would say here that it is time for a thorough evaluation by neuro-psyc doc. Know ALSO it is one of the worst time to eval due to medications, pain, all the changes and trauma which is still in a fairly acute stage.
Other than that this is wait and see and hope and pray if you're a believer and I think I don't otherwise have a clue. I am hoping others here might. I hope you will update us and I am so sorry.