Many UTI's - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

savv55 · 09-19-2007, 11:01 PM

My mother has been in a nursing home for just over 5 months and has had 4 UTI's during this time. She was prone to them when she was younger but hasn't had one for many years prior to this. I have been researching to try to understand the cause and the NH/Doctors reluctance to treat it in a timely manner. I realize they are worried about too many antibiotics and the bugs building resistance but having suffered many UTI's myself, I just don't understand how they can let her suffer so. This last one has taken a full week to get anything done about it. I did call her doctor (he has only been her doctor since going to the NH) and he gave her an analgesic only until the culture came back which took 4 full days. I've been with her for the last 2 days making her drink tons of water and drink cranberry juice and have made many requests of nursing staff and her doctor to please do something to help her. Finally today they prescribed something to help clear it up after first prescribing two drugs she is allergic too and which is clearly written on her chart and files! The nurse caught the first one and I caught the second one.

Can anyone tell me if they have had this sort of experience or why the medical staff seem to want the patient to try to fight it off themselves? I've asked them all if they've ever had a UTI and only one has - she is the one that has finally gotten it sorted out today. It makes me so angry.

Thanks
Shirley

Martha H · 09-20-2007, 03:49 AM

That's terrible! They ought to treat it at once. The sooner treatment begins, the quicker it goes away. I am appalled at this neglect.

If the patient is incontinent, it is often a matter of changing her diapers often enough. Obviously you can get an infection from sitting in your own wastes.

It is a very good thing you are closely supervising her care.

Good luck !

Cranberry juice is an excellent preventive; she should drink it every day even after the infection clears up.

Martha

angel_bear · 09-20-2007, 06:29 AM

Lemon Barley is also good for UTI's and "dicky kidneys".

As for the nursing home staff, my first thought is this poor woman isn't being toileted properly. If ANY faecal matter get's NEAR the urethra, it can create a mess (UTI). I would also check her diet .. can you track what she has eaten a few days before she get's a UTI? Most NH should have a diet sheet handy.

You could get something "over the counter" at your pharmacy to counteract the UTI the day it starts (there's a special powder here called URAL, mix with water, drink and in 2 days UTI gone !!) see if your pharmacist has something similar.

Tiring, yes.

petal*pusher · 09-20-2007, 02:38 PM

Hmmmmm.....interesting info! My MIL has very frequent UTI also...at least according to the NH personnel. About once a month or so, we get a call that meds have been called in by them for her. $$$$ !!!

I was not aware of the probable cause here...thank you. Yesterday I got a call at work asking if it were O.K. to call an ambulance for her...seems she was bleeding excessively when they got her up in the a.m. The caretaker was sure her kidneys were shutting down. The Dr. "clinically diagnosed" the problem as uterine cancer...cannot be absolutely sure without surgery.

She's 92...under Hospice care...and the gentle suggestion (which we do agree with) is to just keep an eye on her. He said she would not survive surgery. *sigh* FIL in a different facility...same age...and also has inoperable cancer...also under Hospice care. Then there's MY Mother...9 years in an Alzhiemer's home...Hospice helping with her too. Her little shrinking body still is so healthy! No wonder my back is hurting! Got to learn to loosen those muscles! Argh!........Pam

Martha H · 09-20-2007, 03:21 PM

Oh Dear Pam, poor you! I thought having ONE parent at that stage in life was hard .....

God bless you!

Love,

Martha