Dad's not drinking and his feet are extremely swollen. Is this a sign of congestive heart failure?

IMO that Hospice was wrong. Your dad's eligibility for the Hospice has nothing to do with him being able to ambulate. It all boils down to how much he's left to go, unfortunately. It's up to your dad's physician to issue a statement in this respect. Get a second opinion.

dad is still in hospital, they wanted to do surgery asap on his intestines,,, he had an obstruction and the intestines were all twisted.. They did a non-invasive procedure almost like a colonoscopy They were able to un-twist what they could, but doctor said it will probably happen again. He does now hospice that will be comin out to the house still not out of the woods yet,,,,so many family and friends praying for him and us,,,,, deeply appreciatedllllllllllll

A trip to the DR or hospital seems to be reasonable. But maybe it is time to have a serious discussion about hospice care. Sometimes the symptoms you described indicate active dying. I know this is not happy to hear, but it is good to know if that is what is going on. Most of all you want to eliminate discomfort or suffering.

Update us Laura. Everyone here felt dad needed urgent care. At the very least the ER can give him IV diuretics and get that fluid off ASAP even if they send him home again at least he will be comfortable and you can yell at the Dr and hospice tomorrow.
I don't believe Hospice said he was inappropriate. They may not have wanted to admit him with the dementia but CHF is an appropriate diagnosis. Medicare is pretty picky. Was it a for profit hospice? I am appalled but I suppose I shouldn't be these days.
Hospital is probably not the best place for dad if he is at the end of life. He does not need aggressive treatment but he does deserve comfort care. Stopping some meds at the end of life is not unusual so don't worry about that, it's one less burden. I am assuming dad wants to die at home and you are prepared and able to care for him. Lots of people are thinking of you and wishing you and dad and mom the best. Don't forget mom she is probably beside herself with worry and focusses on herself to avoid thing about how bad dad really is.

I would go to the phone and call 911. Mom can't stop you. If he doesn't belong in the hospital, they won't admit him. Chances are he will get good care and your mom will thank you. I think she is just scared of losing him.

Pstiegman, thank God you convinced them. I said what I said because a lot of people, not you personally, seem to have issues standing up to authority, or standing up, period, and might simply accept being blown off... I understand that some people are more mild mannered, but in this care giving job, people can't afford to be blown off or mild mannered if they have concerns, or to be passive if something is clearly wrong...

My post was simply to make the point that if a hospital or doctor tries to send a sick, elderly patient home without doing anything, they need to be ready and willing to stand up and speak for them, and not accept that, and I'm glad you don't. . I hope others will learn to be assertive if they aren't already, for the sake of the person they're caring for...

And if something is clearly very seriously wrong, people need to get off their ass and DO something instead of following this OPs example, doing nothing, hemming and hawing, and sweating mother, while the patient is DYING in front of their eyes...which had me wishing I could leap through my computer in this poor man's defense...

StandingAlone, the ER wanted to send mom home and I did convince them to keep her overnight. She will hit a crisis, panic, go to the hospital and 24hrs later insist she is fine and they have to let her go. Now she says "No more 911 calls." She has a DNR but she keeps it hidden.
Twin Laura, it's already Monday, but also bear in mind that after a long weekend, the MD's office will be inundated with calls of all kinds. In the meantime keep his feet elevated if you can, I know that is not easy. A warm epsom salt foot soak may help, everyone likes a good foot soak. Soak ten minutes, scrub off the dead skin and clip nails if you can, elevate and dry.

Ok, I'm going to make this a little more clear. WHO GIVES A TINKERS DAMN WHAT YOUR MOTHER THINKS? 'She doesn't believe you'? And? Your point? Who lied to you and told you that you needed some kind of approval to do what is very obviously the right damn thing to do... And you're sweating mother's opinion about it? Best call 911. Now. And mother be damned. Your dad can, and should be helped. Now. Hear that? Now. It's been said several times. Pick the phone up. Now. N.O.W. Wanna hear it again? NOW.

hospice on friday was suppose to get him enrolled... but since he was able to walk, they said he is not qualified...Jinx4740 i don't think he will make it either, honestly...
she doesnt believe me...it's terrible...she is handicapped herself, and I swear all she wants to talk about is herself and her problems........I have to walk away from her...
she mentally is stable,, but still thinks he can get better she wont accept the disease......God, it has been 7 years I can write a book about it.

I'm sorry, Pstiegman, I don't agree at all. That wasn't my experience. I had a feeling one day something was wrong with my mom. I called 911. Her heart stopped on the way up to the hospital. Paramedics, not knowing she was DNR, shocked her back. She'll still doing pretty well, all things considered. She was going through what this man is dealing with, and yeah, Hospice was involved before she went into respite. She is getting all the help in the world from the doctors to make sure she's comfortable, and she is comfortable, breathing well, and in a strangely good mood when she sees me, in spite of all her heart issues, and that includes heart failure, COPD. If I walked into a hospital that blew me off, blew off my concerns, were willing to send my dad home suffering, all living hell would break loose. I'd like to see someone try it.

TwinL, enough talk. Call 911 for Gods sake. What are you waiting for?

Twinlaura, did you say he's not on Hospice? If that's true, he should go to the hospital. Someone should do something about that swelling ASAP. Tell your mother he will be dead by Tuesday. I don't know if that's true, but I wouldn't bet a lot of money either way.

At the very least, call the doctor, or find a medical advice phone number and tell them what's happening. If they say to bring him in, then Mom has to go along.

my mother doesnt think he needs to go,,,how do u try to convince a stubborn mother that her husband needs to be in the hospital... she is going to wait and call the doctor on tues... I fear that might be too late... does anyone agree? pstlegman? advise me please....

Yes it is late stage heart failure. Call Hospice, because if you go back to the hospital, they will just hold him in observation for 24 hours and send him home. Been there, done that.

Contact a different hospice group! When my dad started hospice, he could still walk. The reason they gave you is BUNK. My mom's on Lasix (Furosemide) for her CHF. It does help with the fluid in her feet and ankles. It sounds like his heart isn't pumping properly causing all of the swelling. I'd either get him to a different doc or take him to the ER depending on how bad he seems. Like others have said, keep us posted on what you decide to do...hugs to you, I know this is hard to deal with.

It's probably OK to take him off the Aricept and Namenda, if he's in late stages. they probably won't help much.

My father could walk and he was on Hospice!

Yes, they should treat the CHF. No, they shouldn't do heart surgery, but they should give him medication to reduce the swelling, like Lasix. I wonder if there is a different problem that makes the doctor think he will die soon, but the doctor didn't tell you. Fight! God bless you.

Laura, please let us know how it goes... I'm sending you both good karma... I hope I dad is alright, and that he'll get the help he needs, and that he'll be much more comfortable... I wouldn't listen to another word that other doc had to say...

Call 911 and get him to the hospital...now. That's what I'd be doing, were it my mom. I don't agree with that...doctor...at all... Trust your gut. It's dead on.

Veronica, yes! That is the name of the pill! Thank you.

Take your Daddy back to the hospital. Now.

the diagnosis is late stage alzheimers,, she told me not to push food or water.....his abdomen is swollen also.........

What diagnoses does his doctor give? Perhaps take your dad to the ER doctor since his current doctor appears to withhold info.

dad is 81 and was diagnosed with alzheimers 7 yrs ago.....had hospice out here on friday and they say he doesnt qualify due to the fact that he can walk......Is that not the craziest thing anyone has ever heard? The man can't walk, with his feet as swollen as they are,,,,,the doc took him off the meds due to her saying they wont help him anymore..............I am a medical assistant,, I know and I feel in my gut something is really wrong with dad.........he isn't complaining about pain,, but things are just not right........

Standing Alone the medication you mention is probably Lasix.
Laura, not being a Dr I can't diagnose but to me it sounds like Congestive Heart Failure. It would seem that the Dr feels he is terminal but that is no excuse for letting him suffer, his symptoms can be eased. Would he be prepared to go back to the ER? if he agrees take him as soon as possible and they will be able to help him. call an ambulance if it is too distressing to go by car. if he wants to stay home which is his choice call in Hospice and they will make sure he gets the meds he needs. In the meantime you can help him by keeping his legs up, in bed, recliner, or on couch and remove any constricting socks. Wrap his feet in a warm blanket as they will feel cold. I can't offer more advice at this time but he needs urgent help. keep in touch and let up know how it goes.

Aye aye Captain...that's what I was thinking, too... What a strange attitude from a doctor..

if the doc is thinking your dad is terminal with CHF then the clown should recommend hospice for him / you. otherwise id expect him to be on curative or at least maintenance meds.

Laura, I am really sorry that your dad is suffering...my mom had congestive heart failure as well. I won't go into that. Suffice it to say that I took swollen feet as a sign of bad news... Now, there is a pill the doc had my mom on after that to get rid of excess water. Her feet no longer swelled, and it got rid of the fluid in her lungs, too. It was a huge help. I'll look around for the bottle and see if I can get the name of it.

What do you mean, the doctor doesn't want to do anything about it? Why did she take him off those other meds? I don't understand at all why she would just allow the man to suffer... Maybe you need a second opinion... In fact, I'd get one no matter what. The man needs help, imo... soon...

Let us know how it goes, and please give us a little more detail about him...how old is your dad? What exactly are his medical issues?