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My mom is in a NH for a 90 day rehab plan after a fall. She is very angry and uncooperative. She spends most of her time calling banks, lawyers and police. She told me they were crushing pills in her food, and they wouldn't tell her what they were. I found out from a discharge nurse they had started antidepressants 2 weeks prior. When I looked up the medication, it would likely cause side effects similar to dementia for someone with her particular health issues. A nurse called to tell me the police cane to see my mom because she had called them so many times. Now they are considering sedating her to calm her down. I am her DPOA and have medical powers as well. The nursing home has all the documentation of my POA. They never notified me of this antidepressant. They've only had one planned care meeting in 60 days, and only notified me of her blood pressure med changes. I'm concerned, but no other facility will take her. She is completely bedridden, diapered and needs help with every aspect of every day life, and will most likely be staying after her rehab ends. I comprehend she is a handful and would not disagree with trying medications to help her feel at ease, but I don't think it's okay to do it in secret. Any suggestions?

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Check with the nursing home doctor. He/she is usually in charge of adding medications.
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In my experience with rehab, an assessment is done shortly after a patient arrives, The in-house doctor reviews the med list, and also in my experience, adds meds sometimes typical for older people, and/or what that in-house doctor believes a patient of specified age and with specified conditions MIGHT need.

After learning this, I made it a point during the admission process to make it clear that I intended to discuss what meds were used in the hospital and what meds the treating in-house doctor might want to add. I am anti-medicine except when specifically needed and abhor the practice of doping up elders b/c some doctor thinks it might be needed.

I knew my father better than any of the staff (including doctors) could, and I knew that he was a strong person who took meds only when it was absolutely necessary. Generally he refused them, especially if they were mood type meds.

My sister (a nurse) also took this position when in rehab after hospitalization for near respiratory failure when her cancer began to accelerate rapidly. I also took that position when I was hospitalized for an emergency appendectomy a few years ago. The nurses' approach changed from "we're giving you this medicine" to "do you want this medicine"?

You have every right to know what meds are being prescribed, and ON WHAT BASIS.
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Rosie365 Aug 2022
You mentioned the admissions process, we never had an admissions process. They gave us a clip board of 15 pages 5 days after my mom was transported from the hospital. They were never completed and returned. She's been there 6 weeks with no formal paperwork.
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I was not consulted when medication changes were made for my mother so I can understand - I was furious, especially because I knew mom's medical file was very cursory and incomplete. There has to be a prescribing doctor so that is the person I'd most want to talk to if I was in your shoes, as well as raising a big stink with the director of nursing.... informed consent is supposed to be a hallmark of modern medical care!
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Cover999 Aug 2022
Lol
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Who is your moms dr? The dr needs to order the medication. Maybe the NH thought the communication came from the dr??? All my moms med changes was communicated from her NP who saw her at the memory care…
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Cover999 Aug 2022
Not matter. She would switch to the NH Doctor
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They did the same when my mom was in nursing care. I was quite alarmed at one of the care home meetings how ignorant the staff were about my mom's conditions and medication requirements.
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