My mother has been in a nursing home since Feb. She went in for some leg pain, go tthe flu, then pneumonia, now she has UTIs to the point where it makes her delusional. I have been trying to bring her home but she can't even heal from these things. Now her legs have atrophied and she can't walk. It's a nightmare and I am loosing my mind! Ive asked to bring in her purewick to see if this helps at all. The antibiotics don't work!
Has she been on IV antibiotics specifically for the strain that she has? We found these were most effective.
Can you get PT prescribed to help her stand and build her muscles?
Get her on daily high dose of cranberry pills or D Manose. Doctor can prescribe prescription cranberry pills. It needs to be more than 1 pill, i.e.
needs to be a higher dose.
Is she on C-Memantine? We found that caused UTI's in Mom. Discontinuing stopped the UTI's. Take a look at all meds she is on.
Make sure she is eating enough protein to build back muscles.
She needs plenty of water and pedialyte type products.
Keep fighting for your Mom. We went through several years of this. Doctors and nurses regularly implied it was because we were not keeping Mom's privates "clean." No, in our case the recurrence was caused as a side effect
of the C-Memantine. I still feel guilty I did not figure out the cause years earlier.
The problem may be getting the medication nurse or facility to agree to administering this supplement.
For me cranberry doesn't work and is too acidic to tolerate.
I'm sorry the antibiotics don't seem to be working...doctor probably should try testing her urine again and try a different antibiotic..it's important to try to prevent this from becoming a kidney infection. She should keep well hydrated and needs not to be alone. If you cannot be with her every day, might be a good idea to hire a temporary CNA/caregiver who can supplement the care she gets especially during this critical time...they can make sure to follow these instructions and keep an eye on her...also important since she has been so weak. When she is feeling a bit better, perhaps some light stretching exercises will help her legs.
Facilities can be a two-edged sword. They can be a place of healing for older people and they can be a place where they can pick up infections such as utis and pneumonia. Your mother getting physical therapy as soon as she is well, is key.
Also, consider cranberry tablets.
Testing checks for blood? Sugar?
E-coli? Treatment long enough?Someone there needs to step up and address this age old mentality .…
“old ladies always get them.”
Once she is clear of the UTI, there are a few preventative things that can be put in place that will help her.
Please be aware that other types of infections can cause neurological symptoms, like sepsis. Or, is she drinking enough fluids? Getting enough electolytes? Elders can easily become dehydrated which also can cause delusions and hallucinations.
How old is your Mom?
I'm so sorry for this turn of events, it's very stressful for you -- I wish you success in getting her appropriate diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care.
My Mom was given cranberry tablets and a probiotic in her LTC. Before her passing, she had gone over a year with no UTIs. Better to try and prevent it than get rid of it.