My dementia father was dying with fluid in lungs. He was breathing normally, wasn't agitated, wasn't sweating. Last time when I measured his saturation it was 87. Due to my dad's behaviour no family doctor prescribed morphine over the phone [house call was impossible and we got no place in hospice]. So dad appeared ok but I read that a dementia patient may look calm, ok, breath normally but still feel discomfort due to pulmonary edema. Has anyone ever been in similar situation when the doctor decided not to give opioids despite fluid build-up in lungs? Would appreciate your answers very much.
At 90 years old, dad was worn out and God was ready for him. You did nothing wrong. Dad was immediately at perfect peace once he passed and met God, free of all his earthly illnesses.
You were a great daughter who's now left with PTSD which you need to address with your doctor. I had PTSD in 2000 and it was just terrible. The doctor prescribed Paxil to calm down my body and mind and it worked amazingly well. Please see your doctor right away. You need help straightening out all of these constant negative thoughts running thru your head. Medication can help you do that.
Best of luck to you.
P. S.
How did you know she was not in pain or breathless? Do you really see these symptoms in in dying people? Thank You again!
Not sure if the OP/caregiver is a nurse or licensed in medicine in Poland. A lot seems to have been done over the phone between her and the Father's doctor, and not actually in person.
May the OP receive peace in her heart as she mourns the loss of her Father.
Who told you that there was fluid in the lungs?
When they told you that there was fluid in the lungs, what did they suggest should be done about it at the time?
I do not understand your telling us "and we got no place in Hospice".
You told us "My dementia father was dying with fluid in his lungs". Did your father since die? If your father was no in discomfort there is really nothing to discuss, and our own experience of loved ones with weakened hearts and fluid accumulations are unique to us, and have no relevance for your father.
My condolences to you. There is much information of pulmonary edema online for you if you are interested in following the condition, it's causes, it's treatments. The reason I ask who told you that there was fluid is that "crackles" and "rales" due to pneumonia or fluid secretions poorly cleared may sound like fluid to the uneducated ear.
My best to you.
And yes, I have seen patients in the ER who had no dementia go into cardiac arrest during a crisis and never complained about pain or discomfort.
Opioids are pain killers, not water pills like Lasix. Seems Dad had CHF and there is not much you can do in the final stage. The heart can no longer pump blood thru the system so no oxygen goes thru either. There is a point that giving oxygen does not help either.
I am sorry for your loss but he was on Hospice because he was dying. No measures are taken to keep him alive. Its comfort care. Seems from your discription, Dad was comfortable.
It sounds like your father should be on 24/7 oxygen if his oxygen levels are below 90.
Hospice will supply the oxygen concentrator, and any other equipment, supplies and medications(including morphine)that your father requires, plus they will have a nurse to come check on him once a week to start and aides to come bathe him at least twice a week. And all of it will be covered under your fathers Medicare.
You can either have his doctor order hospice care or you yourself can call and they will come out and do an assessment.
My late husband who almost died of aspiration pneumonia and developed sepsis and septic shock from it, continued to have fluid build up in his body until his death 22 months later. He was under in-home hospice the entire time and was prescribed Lasix to remove the fluid, which helped some. And he was also on 24/7 oxygen to help him breath.
So call hospice today(yes they're available 7 days a week 24 hours a day)and have then come out and do an assessment, and yes even if you've already called them. If you don't get anywhere with one hospice agency, call another, as most cities have plenty of hospice agencies to choose from.