What can I do fast to protect Mother An RN giving Mother eyedrops on Monday mornings was giving her the wrong eye medications. She was getting Latanoprost in the a.m. instead of AZOPT (in both eyes). In the evenings the same RN - 5 days a week - was giving Mom only AZOPT in both eyes but not the Latanaprost in the evening that was prescribed by her eye Dr. This went on in July, August and part of September before I discovered the same. This has been a disaster for her. The eye Dr noted a problem after taking imaging of the glaucoma dark spot. It had signifigantly increased. Mother was sent to a specialist. At her age, he was not to interested kn the case. Mother has every right to be treated as anyone in their 40's. She is 99. The Dr. didn't seem too alarmed.
After that the same RN withheld medications and eyedrops on a Monday morning. She claims Mother was not at breakfast. Mother was there. Mother and I went to a Dr. appointment after breakfast, I notified a Nurses Aid as the Nurse was not on the floor or in her office that we were leaving and assumed her medications were given. When Mother and I got back, the same RN was making a point, I think in retaliation for my exposing mistake above that she made. An Ombudsman was there. She went with me to try to mediate the same. The RN told me I was no longer the POA of Health Care, that my brother was and that he had POA over financial papers. I do not think this is true. When the Ombudsman asked her what Medications my Mother received in the am, she replied, none of importance. She got a list up on the computer and read off the vitamins but not her absolutely necessary prescriptions. Mother gets the bulk of her prescriptions in the am. The Ombudsman asked her to state the policy of offsite trips, she did, and I understood Notice to her was mandatory when she was there and I had no problem complying in the future to the extent she told me to sound Mother's emergency alarm if there was no one there to notify we were leaving and when we would be arriving.
The result of this argument was that I am relegated to come and go no earlier than 8 am and no later than 8 pm. The facility was trying to block me from being with my Mother except for a few hours a day. With these hours I miss seeing Mother get her eye drops the majorrity of the time.
About 2 weeks ago Mother asked me, where is the cat? It was 8 feet in front of her. I was alarmed. It was the first loss of vision she has experienced. We went back to her eye Dr. and had him take another scan of her eyes. This time there was a significant darkening in the eyeball.
Tonight she was in bed and asked about the newpaper about 4 feet away from her in from of the wall. It was the cat litter box. I am beside my self for fear she will loose her eyesight hastened by the negligent/intentional acts of the RN.
Can anyone relate to this circumstance, what do you advise. Her eye Dr. is afraid he would get sued when I asked him to back me up, I asked him to write a letter to the facility that I should give her eyedrops or be there to see the eye drops are given on a daily basis.
There are several matters this worse or worse. I would like to bring Mother home. I cannot go to upper management as they have behaved worse and irrationally. The Ombudsman had me call the state medical licensing agency for the facility. I told him of the times Mother did not receive her eyedrops or meds. I told him I was afraid of retaliation. I don't think he dropped the ball. We need help fast to stop the deterioration of her eyes. Where would you go? Nt sure what path to take.Thank you for reading all of this. Love you all.
I know my Dad's med techs were very matter of fact about his medication... if I had asked for a pain relief cream to be used 4 times a day, they wouldn't do it unless the doctor writes a script saying 4 times a day.
As for the Glaucoma, now a days there is a laser surgery that will relieve the pressure in the eye.... my sig other had has Glaucoma for decades, taking eye drops daily which he hated to do as they burn for a couple of seconds. Now after the laser surgery, no more drops. Find a new eye specialist who doesn't see age as a matter.
(The prescription could have been clear and correct, but if it got into the computer incorrectly, the nurse has to follow the directions she is given.)
This nurse is there for both the morning and evening medicine every day? That sounds like very poor scheduling. Many nurses work two shifts now and then. But every day? I'd be concerned about that!
I too would be turning purple and spitting feathers over this, and I very much sympathise with your despair and outrage. But having said that, I am afraid that treating your mother's kind of eye condition is difficult and uncertain of outcome in any case, even with the most punctilious care; so I doubt whether the nurse's half-heartedness will have made any material difference. You have to think whether there is any useful *purpose* in pursuing the nurse's behaviour, especially as you're unlikely to get her disciplined over it.
Turning to the possibility of bringing your mother home... It isn't impossible, but in these circumstances it does sound as if it would be fraught. For example, would your brother welcome that idea? Is your mother able to give her consent? And would you be able to satisfy any supervisory or regulatory bodies that you have a formal care plan for her, supported by a professional health care team? I know it can be done because I did it, but that doesn't mean I'd recommend it. How well set up is your home for her needs? How would you manage?
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