My mom has dementia. She is now choking on milk and cocoa, then vomiting the drink with mucus. She's 100 and in a nursing home. Is there anything I can do to help her?
She may be losing her swallow. You can ask the doctor if he will have her assessed by an OT person (often works out of PT departments) for a swallow reflex. It is not unusual for this to happen for seniors, and at her age it would be more common still. The problem with this is that if there are still attempts to feed her when she cannot swallow well she can get aspiration pneumonia, and suck food into her lung. This can be fatal. She may need to enter hospice is there is no longer the ability to safely take food, or a decision can be made to feed through NG or PEG tube. This will sustain for nutrition, but often causes diarrhea, bed sores, sepsis from the sores, pulling out of tubes and in general a miserable existence. I hope you will follow up with the medical personnel responsible and I surely do wish you good luck.
Sounds like her brain is now forgetting to tell her throat to close thus allowing her food and drink to get into her lungs. That is very dangerous and can lead to aspiration pneumonia and kill her. At this point I would thicken all of her drinks with the product Thick It and I would make sure that she's on a pureed diet only. The same thing happened with my late husband and he ended up getting aspiration pneumonia and he came so close to dying. He pulled through but not before developing sepsis and septic shock and ended up completely bedridden for the last 22 months of his life. Sadly at your moms age it can often be pneumonia that will take a person out.
She is in a nursing home and nobody there is advising you? Dysphagia is common in end stage dementia and they should know how to deal with it - thickening her fluids and/or modifying her solids to the level that she can safely handle. Ask for an immediate meeting with the DON and food services supervisor.... they don't need to wait for a formal evaluation to act.
pamelac, how does your Mom react when drinking plain water? If she is ok, then it sounds like she may have become intolerant to dairy products.
It is not uncommon as we get older to have problems drinking/eating dairy products. My Dad had that problem. I had him try Lactaid milk, and he did fine with that. Dad lived in senior living, and the kitchen was able to order Lactose-free milk.
I agree with Willie, why does not the RN know this is happening. CNAs in a NH should have enough experience to know what this is and report it to a Nurse.
You may want to see if Hospice should be brought in.
I hope you will follow up with the medical personnel responsible and I surely do wish you good luck.
At this point I would thicken all of her drinks with the product Thick It and I would make sure that she's on a pureed diet only.
The same thing happened with my late husband and he ended up getting aspiration pneumonia and he came so close to dying. He pulled through but not before developing sepsis and septic shock and ended up completely bedridden for the last 22 months of his life.
Sadly at your moms age it can often be pneumonia that will take a person out.
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/dysphagia-how-to-help-a-loved-one-eat-and-drink-safely-187010.htm
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/swallowing-disorders-tips-for-using-food-and-beverage-thickeners-208048.htm
It is not uncommon as we get older to have problems drinking/eating dairy products. My Dad had that problem. I had him try Lactaid milk, and he did fine with that. Dad lived in senior living, and the kitchen was able to order Lactose-free milk.
You may want to see if Hospice should be brought in.