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By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
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Mypetunia, have you gotten any answers? Has the Lexapro started to work?
A combo of Lexapro and Remeron, with a low dose of Klonopin for anxiety has been my mom's "drug cocktail" for the past three years. She is content and calm, except for the occasional delusion (leprosy this summer). No "drugged" or zombie-like in the least.
Mother is in a facility. She is 104 now, will be 105 in May. I will be 80 in August. It feels like it will never be over. I live 5 hours drive away so don't see her that often as I have my own health and other issues. There is no way I could ever have looked after her. She was pretty independent till into her 90s. Mother was always negative and fault finding. Maybe your mother needs a higher dose. I was so relieved when both those drugs worked for her. Has your mother seen a geriatric psychiatrist? That is who finally diagnosed and treated mother. She resisted taking drugs for quite a while, but the delusions really bothered her so finally she gave in. It was quite a ride for a few years. Now she is bedridden and weak in her muscles due to vascular dementia, but her heart, lungs, kidneys and liver, blood sugar, blood pressure are all fine. She can go on for a while but she does not have much quality of life. She is ready to go.
Thanks, my MIL is also on Lexapro, in addition to the risperdal, but she is still having delusions. She is always telling us someone is trying to kill her or that she killed someone. She says they vote on who is to be killed, but she doesn't seem afraid. She also says her son owns the nursing home and that she has two or three rooms. Her mood is not better, either. She is always finding fault with everything and saying she wants to die. She broke her hip 5 months ago and can't walk. I know she is unhappy since she has mostly always had her way. My husband and I are 72 and we go to see her every day. There's no way we can care for at home. I hate to think that she may live to be 102! Is your mom in a nursing home?
Yes. my mother was put on a low dose of risperdal a couple of years ago aged 102, as she was having delusions as her vascular dementia progressed. It works very well for her. She was also depressed and put on an antidepressant too. Both together have enhanced her mood greatly. She has borderline personality disorder and narcissism and she is now more content that she ever has been.
That made me think -- if Lexapro doesn't work for your mother, maybe Remeron would. It is one of the drugs that made my mother hypomanic. Most people I've read about have been helped by it, however. Ask your mother's doctor about changing if the Lexapro isn't working. I believe that she can start Remeron at the same time she's weaning off the Lexapro.
My mother has been on a low dose of Lexapro since early December. I haven't noticed any change at all. The dose may not be high enough. My mother is 90, though, so I don't know if adding a lot of drugs to her day is in her best interest. She has tried so many antidepressants now that either made her hypomanic or had no effect at all.
I don't know how long you need to wait. Discuss with her doctor. I know what they say, but, when my mom started just a small dose of Lexapro, we saw an improvement pretty quick. And then when my cousin, who has dementia, went on Cymbalta, that showed really fast improvement too. At least that was my impression. I would imagine it would be difficult to wait a long time with no apparent effect. But, not all meds work for people. They may want to try something else. Sometimes, it takes a while to get things adjusted.
My mother was put on Lexapro and it has helped her a lot, but not everyone responds the same to any particular drug. I don't remember how long it took. What I have gleaned from the internet is that mood can take 6-8 weeks to improve. Have you noticed improvement in anything - like appetite, sleep or energy ? It might be worth hanging in for another couple of weeks if you have. If no improvement in anything is seen then discuss trying another anti-d it with her doctor. Let us know what happens.
Thank you, pamstegma, I was going to do that exact thing. She has been on the lexapro for 4 weeks now, Sunnygirl1, I can't tell if it's not doing anything or it's getting worse. She still cries every morning when she gets up and wants to die, because she can't do anything anymore. I am calling her doctor tomorrow morning. Thanks for the input.
How long has she been on the med? I think there is supposed to be a certain amount of time before it kicks in with results, but, I'd ask her doctor about it. It may need to be adjusted or changed.
OK, call the pharmacist and ask about reverse effects of a medication. He will look at all the medications she is on and check for interactions. On Monday morning you want to call the MD about her decline.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
A combo of Lexapro and Remeron, with a low dose of Klonopin for anxiety has been my mom's "drug cocktail" for the past three years. She is content and calm, except for the occasional delusion (leprosy this summer). No "drugged" or zombie-like in the least.
On Monday morning you want to call the MD about her decline.