Hi, I am the lady with the two sisters-in-law who rotate months with mom. Well, mom got so bad yesterday, her feet were very swollen and she cannot walk anymore (she had two falls and was bruised and cut) - my sister in law called 911 and she is now in hospital. Diagnosed with low blood pressure, low insulin and congestive heart failure.
She was on oxygen in the ambulance and it was touch and go, but since the oxygen she perked up and started talking better and was hungry and ate quite a lot. My sister in law stayed with her for about 7 hours.
Since I am working and am not near the hospital (Plainview NY, I'm in Queens and work in NY), I will be going on Saturday but my brothers and husband will be going this week.
I would like your opinion in regard to her prognosis and nursing home. Would the hospital want to get her in a NH with congestive heart failure? Does the NH treat that condition there? So much anxiety thinking about the process and I feel they would not do a good job like the hospital.
My dad has the same thing and was in the hospital for one month and passed away.
I don't know if it can be treated and she can recover from this heart issue. She no longer can walk and my sisters-in-law cannot do it anymore.
Should I wait to hear from the doctor re NH or should I contact the NH myself now? The NH I want said to me a few months ago there is no problem ever getting her in there. Does the hospital call them for me?
I am a wreck and it has now come down to the wire and poor little mommy is just a sweet, happy little 87 lb. doll complying with all they do to her in the hospital.
They also took a CAT scan, but I don't know why.
So in a nutshell, does alzheimer's cause the heart failure or are they two separate issues? Can she live with heart issue?
My mother had congestive heart failure. In itself it did not cause Alzhiemer's, but I think the 6 different prescription drugs they prescribed for her after a 3 day stay the hospital caused or hastened Dementia.
Mom was treated for heart failure all along, at home and in the NH, and the NH doctor kept her up to date and adjusted her drugs. Mom did not die of heart failure, it was some minor infection she could not fight off in her 'shut down' state. (her body stopped processing food and medications).
Mom was transferred to the NH directly from the hospital where she had hip surgery, and it worked out really well.
The NH where Mom went was in Syosset, Long Island, called Cold Spring Hills. and we were extremely saitisfied with the care she got there.
Mom's heart episode was in May 03 and she lived until December 07.
Congestive Heart Failure is the result of the heart not beating hard enough for fast enough to control life. It is sluggish, therefore the blood is flowing very slowly not moving the toxins to the kidneys or colon or removal, etc.
It is now a circle of life:
Congestion builds up in arms, legs, stomach, etc.
it is medically address, fluid removed and patient gets better
slowly the congestion builds up
First the hospital stays may be many, many weeks apart. Then you'll find that the trips to the Hospital become more frequent. Then it will become almost weekly.
yes she can survive in the hospital. But if she does die it could be from the congestion and the bacteria is promotes as a result of the kidney's slowing down, etc.
They may even suggest a pacemaker but that only works for a short period of time and then the fluid builds up again.
congestive heart failure doesn't have anything to do with the dementia. Its two separate issues but there are a lot of medical ramifications from CHF such as infections, etc.
My Mom never had to go back to the hospital once she lived at the NH. They took care of meds, treatments etc.
The hospital gave us the choice of which Rehab/NH to send her to. My brother did all the paperwork. Medicare paid for 2 months because she started out as a rehab patient. Then we paid 3 months out of her own savings to spend her money down to Medicaid eligibility standards, then Medicaid took over. They were a month late but the NH cntinued to care for her until the decision was made. I THINK it was retroactive, but am not sure. We got an Elderlawyer to help with the paperwork for Medicaid and he was expensive but invaluable. His fee plus a prepaid funeral came out of Mom's funds and counted towards the 'spending down' process.
I am sure the hospital will arrange for your Mom to go to the NH of your choice, especially as they said they always have beds.
My aunt just died in January from congestive heart failure. In NJ --the nursing home she was in did not and could not treat her so each time she was transported back and forth to a nearby hospital. it was a pain. My cousin had to do daily updates just to tell all of us exactly where she was on that given day.
They put a pacemaker in but the pacemaker couldn't be speeded up to provide sufficient release of the fluids, so she built up in her stomach and therefore didn't feel like she wanted to eat. Her arms and legs became like tree trunks and the skin hurt from being stretched so much.
Then her kidneys starting to shut down under the strain and when they did dialysis her blood pressure dropped so seriously, she lapsed into a coma and my cousin was told that it will be any day -- she lasted 4 days and then passed away. This all occurred right after Christmas, she was very energetic at Christmas.
So, it depends on the facility -- my aunts facility could not treat her there at the NH and she was transported back and forth each time.
Your Mom's congestive heart failure can be treated in the NH. They are very skilled in dealing with such problems and know the signs and symptoms to watch for. Her doctor will adjust her medication.
A lot depends on the severity of her congestive heart failure. Many live for a long time with congestive heart failure. It is a totally separate condition from the dementia.
Usually a hospital social worker will contact you concerning placement for your Mom. You can tell her where you want Mom placed and they will do what needs to be done to facilitate her placement. You may have some paper work to complete but they will do most of the work and the NH personnel will help you with the rest. When you get to the hospital tomorrow as to speak to a social worker and discuss it with her. That is what she is there for. Don't worry about the paper work. The social workers at the hospital and the nursing home will help you get everything done.
I do hope your Mom responds to the treatment. It is time for her to go to a facility where she can get professional care. The nurses will keep an eye on her condition and correspond with the doctor to control her symptoms. Just take a deep breath... You will find your way through this maze. concentrate on getting Mom better
My mom battled CHF for many years prior to passing away this past Ooctober.
Her Chf was caused from many many years of being Diabetic. Her Kidney function was failing due to the diabetes disease. Whenever she would have a CHF episode edema in her legs and feet and short of breath we would bring her to the hospital or call the doctor. Sometimes it could be controlled at home by giving more lasix diuretic. If it was to bad it was off to the hospital whereas they would put a catheter in and give her IV of lasix. That went on many many years then of course the epsiodes happened more and more until last year a year ago this week she went into complete Kidney failure and had to go on diaylsis in the end that is what she died from.
During her many years of the CHF after each hospital, stay she would go to rehab then last year after the complete kidney failure we had to place her in long term care because she had fallen when she came home and fx her hip . so after that we knew it was time for long term care.
In regards to NH and CHf. I always stayed right on top of any noticable signs of swelling or short of breath. There was a couple of episodes whereas I had to bring it to there attention that the swelling was starting again. I always gave clear intructions that her feet were to be elevated parts of the day for the swelling. At home she always had her favorite lazy boy chair she sat in for that...
When your mom gets discharged from hospital then goes to rehab/NH the hospital will write out clear instructions of her care plan. Make a copy of that plan and her medications and make sure they follow it to a "T"
Thanks everybody
Today I will be closing all her CD's and move them to her checking account to prepare for the enormous NH fees.
And I will also pre-pay her funeral very soon.
