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irishdaughter11 Asked March 2018

94 yr old SIL insists on being taken to the hospital. It's the act of going there that eases her mind. Any advice?

They don't do anything for her - time after time we have to rent a medicar as its the only way she can be moved as she puts up such a fuss. It costs $200.00 every to and from visit. We spend all day going to get her, taking her, waiting for her, bringing her back home, etc and for nothing. Yes she has aches and pains that any inactive 94 year old would have (watches tv all day) but they have assured her there is nothing can be done. They say she is actually in pretty good shape plus no obvious dementia! If she has a pain or ache they tell her to take Alieve or Motrin, etc. She wants them to check her in, she wants many tests, basicially, she wants them to give her her old life back - no can do! There is a small community hospital near where she lives but she hates it and only wants to go to the big teaching hospital downtown. Anybody else run into this situation? We have taken her downtown to the major hospital half a dozen times in the last few months and that will keep her quiet for a week or so - then she wants to go back!

BarbBrooklyn Mar 2018
She needs to be seen by a geriatric psychiatrist. Meds for her anxiety, agitation and depression may work wonders.

freqflyer Mar 2018
irishdaughter11, I would start with a theraputic fib telling Mom that her health insurance will no longer cover any more ER trips because she had used up her limit. But you can tell Mom that you can take her to a neighborhood type urgent care center that will accept her insurance.

If at the urgent care the doctor feels this is a serious matter, then urgent care can call 911 to come take Mom to the ER. Otherwise, the doctor at urgent care can do similar testings in his/her facility. The wait time would be much less, plus less chance of catching someone with a cold or the flu.

My Mom was similar, she was in her 90's and I believe she just wanted reassurance that she was ok. She liked hearing from her specialty doctors "see you next year".

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Eyerishlass Mar 2018
If it's not an emergency offer to make an appointment with her doctor then take her to lunch after the doctor's visit. Maybe she's bored or lonely. Maybe she likes the attention. Boredom, loneliness, and attention-seeking can all be taken care of at home without having to go to the emergency room.

I wonder what symptoms she says she has in order to get to the emergency room. Does she feel like she's having a heart attack? Stroke? Does she get herself all worked up thinking it's an emergency? Do you take her just to be on the safe side?

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