 Getting Services for Uncle
First Post. I just want to run this by and get some feedback.
Last week my 81 year old uncle, whom my father has power of attorney over, & who lives in an assisted living facility for the elderly and has beginning dementia started acting as if he were experiencing a manic episode. This has never happened before. To me it looks like a text book case -just recently started on anti-depressants, lots of energy, rapid speech, occasional anger out bursts, speed-train of thought, very, very happy; inappropriate sexual behavior (which has just gotten him booted out of his home), mood swings, & excessive spending. I asked my dad if there was any family history -and he said, and I quote "No, well not if you don't count our mother." I just looked at him until he got it.
To me it couldn't be any clearer, he however went to the hospital ER on a holiday weekend. I told my parents to make sure 1.)that he gets a psyche evaluation 2.) to tell them everything I wrote above 3.) by no means let them diagnose him with a UTI and try to send him home having "treated" him (I have worked with MR clients for years and see this all the time.).
Of course, the first thing the hospital did was try to send him home with a script for a UTI. My quiet little mom called them on it (so proud of her).
Anyway, where do we go from here? As I understand it the hospital has 24 hours to admit him, and 72 to certify him not counting the holiday and then another 24 to have him seen by a psychiatrist. I'm thinking of filing with the hospital's patients' rights office for failure to treat -just to get the ball rolling (I get there are not enough beds etc., but that doesn't resolve them of their responsibility to treat him).
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
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