Mom is 93 and in a nursing home. On a scale of 15 she is a 4. Extreme fear (?) or paranoia of having any of the nurses or aides near her. Not even to scan her temperature. Has anyone else run up against this issue? She will actually start screaming if they come near her. Nothing we say calms her down. Once, the head nurse told me they are tired of fighting her.
They do give her her meds (sprinkles) in her dessert (pudding) as she refuses even a Tylenol from anyone. She would rather suffer with diarrhea than take an Imodium. (She deals with constant diarrhea—always has. She's had every test imaginable and doctors find nothing.)
My sister and I really would like to know if anyone else’s loved one has this crazy fear.
My mother has anti-anxiety issues and was a former nail biter. She was on anti-anxiety medication but was destroying two fingers - literally biting the tips off because she cannot feel them (severe neuropathy). This nail biting was happening at night time when her anxiety attacks happened. The doctor has now tried changing her medication and I've insisted that this hand be covered with a glove or bandages at night.
Talking alone will not change your mother's fear issues - so you need to discuss with the doctor how to address this problem. There may be a medication that will help her.
You may want to ask if DON feels that its time for Hospice. Nurses are really not allowed to suggest it. I would also ask about medicating her. Its really not fair to allow her to go on like this.
"Only her MD can diagnosis and treat. Anything we say would be pure guesswork. I am uncertain what you mean by on a "scale of 15 she is a 4" because what you are describing is way over a 4."
This is not a question for a forum, but rather for a medical professional.
It’s fine if you think meds are just for doping and death. What is not fine is spreading the opinion as fact when it is not.
If psychiatric meds killed people sooner, we’d have people dropping like flies. Alzheimer’s or no.
Only her MD can diagnosis and treat. Anything we say would be pure guesswork. I am uncertain what you mean by on a "scale of 15 she is a 4" because what you are describing is way over a 4.
I wish you luck. Keep touch with the facility and the MDs. Sometimes it takes a while to get a medication that will work without making a patient too sedated. Wishing you luck.