My father has this weird nail polish remover smell about him even after he showers. It lingers in every room and it's making his apartment smell horrible. He's been smoking cigarettes his entire life and I'm afraid he has some sort of stomach cancer from it based off the way he smells. He refuses to see a doctor and refuses to switch his insurance to make it easier on him to do so. He's always going to work even though it hurts him severely, he refuses to retire, and he's constantly hurting himself everyday just so he has something to do. I'm afraid he's getting on-set dementia, he gets irritated easily, he's always mad about something, he forgets things very quickly (his memory gets so bad sometimes he forgets to finish making food for himself), he rarely showers and when he does he still smells bad and I'm scared he's on death's door. I don't have the funds to send him to a home. What do I do with him?
If your father is not eating but once in awhile, his body is burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates and that's why he is in ketosis, smelling like he is, and likely to test positive for ketones in his urine. That's also why he's very cold all the time. Diabetes is not the only reason for ketosis...it occurs in people who are basically starving themselves or eating very low calories or only protein.
I dated a guy after my divorce for awhile who always had a stomach ache, always held his gut, never could eat much of anything. He was very thin to the point of being skin and bones as a result. He turned out to have stomach cancer and many tumors in his body from Agent Orange exposure our government sprayed to kill the vegetation in Viet Nam.
Nobody here can diagnose your father or tell you if he's okay, but it does not sound like he's okay. He desperately needs a full physical examination by his doctor or a trip to the ER stat. The ER can conduct a bunch of tests and scans all in one place to determine what's going on with him.
Sending you a hug and a prayer for good results.
I’d encourage him to see a doctor/urgent care to at least get a urine test for ketones.
I'm not sure how "he's constantly hurting himself everyday" by working, and if things are as bad as you make them out to be I find it hard to believe that any employer would put up with someone who hurts themselves all the time, has a poor memory and smells bad.
But bottom line your father is a grown ass man, and he can basically live the way he wants to. You are NOT responsible for him in any way, but if it makes you feel better call Adult Protective Services first thing Monday morning and report him as a vulnerable adult living by himself and who you believe is in poor health.
They will come out and access the situation and take things from there.
Wishing you the best in getting things figured out with your father.
I would wonder if his employer has noticed things too. Maybe his work is not up to par. Can u talk to them and ask if its possible for them to recommend he see a doctor. There is something going on and the longer he goes the longer the diabetes has to damage his organs.