Why does Nursing Home change Medication? Every time Mom's just right, they change it and she's not right.. My Mom has dementia and in NH, physically at this point she's OK. Mom's condition is able to be stabalized with medication. The right combo has been a blessing. As soon as she gets to a point where she's stable and looking well and functioning well as can be....they change her dose. They have done this serveral times and every time they find out the same results, she's unstable. They tell me they have to do this. I don't get it??? Can anyone explain?
There are no drugs developed for LBD, but several drugs developed for other purposes work very well. In other words, all of the LBD medications are used "off label." This seems to be a huge source of misunderstandings in NHs. One caregiver was extremely frustrated that they would not give his wife a drug ordered "as needed," because they insisted she did not have the symptoms that the drug was for. But she did have the symptoms the drug was prescribed for her use for and for which it had worked well at home. She did not have the "on label" symptoms, but the LBD symptom she did had responded well to that drug IF she would be given the dang drug!
Another NH wouldn't give the caregiver's mother a prescribed drug because "we don't use that here. It increases risk of falling."
omg Yes indeed. If my hubby ever goes to a NH I'm immediately going to take a very close interest in administration of his drugs. Not that I know I can be successful. It is extremely interesting hearing these things as a bystander. I can't imagine what you are feeling!
Yes I have all my bases covered as far as communication on Mom's behalf ...infact I'm am sick of the boommerang effect, I throw it out there it comes right back as if I am telling them for the first time. That is why I am asking this here. I don't get it!!! I know it may harm her in the long run but lets face it she's not living a perfect full life anyway. I know younger people who are overdosed on meds and living that way and really don't know or care about the harmful effects, when I think they are getting worse not better.