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My mother has suddenly gotten to the place where she cannot walk - this was after a short course of Cipro which the other doctor took her off of. So I brought out the wheelchair, but she either will not listen to directions or cannot understand. She will not turn the way I tell her and almost falls. How can you communicate? We are at our wit's end.

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When my mom had a UTI, she acted exactly that way. She had to be 911-ed to the ER and that was how I found out how serious those infections are and how they can completely change an elderly person’s behavior. This was a very sudden change as well. I had just spoken with her by phone 2 days earlier and she sounded fine. Please have her rechecked and make sure they test for which antibiotic the bacteria is sensitive to. They don’t all work on every infection.
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Where I would start if I were you.
Call both doctors back and ask for a copy of your mothers records. You may need a third opinion. Take the records with you so they can see what has been done.
Did the second dr do blood work? Take a urine sample? Ask those questions when you call. Ask if the tests showed infection.
Alternate thoughts. You can get another UTI test.
Go to the drug store and buy a kit to check for UTI (if positive would still need to see a dr for an antibiotic) or take her to an Urgent care or ER and have her tested. UTIs can be fatal.
As strange as this seems not all doctors seem to know that. I had a dr tell me ok for my aunt not to take antibiotics when she had a UTI because she wasn’t burning etc. when she peed. Thank goodness she had home health. They straightened me out on UTIs.
I had no idea how devastating a UTI could be.
Tell them about the previous Med and ask for a culture to find out which antibiotic would be most effective.
Rule out the UTI. Keep her dr records up to date and with you when you visit drs.
Ask for HH follow up from a dr to enable testing and fewer trips for medical care. Possible PT.
Look at Teepa Snow videos on UTube. You will learn a great deal in a short period of time about dementia.
Good luck on getting your mom help and come back and let us know how things are going.
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I always helped mom up by grabbing the waistband of her pants, (worked like a gait belt but better because it can't slide up under their arms) she could put her arms around my waist or back and I guided her where we needed to go.
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The other doctor that she saw stopped the Cipro, so I have no idea if the UTI was cleared up or not. She is taking over the counter pills for UTI. If I tell her to move her arm to this side - and point - she can't even seem to figure out what I want her to do. She has fell two times already. She is like she is in a daze. When we are trying to help get her into bed, or even move her, she acts like a drowning person fighting a rescue.
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Living, she has dementia. Broken brain. Was the cipro related to a urinary tract infection? She may not be able to process what you are saying if in the middle of a UTI. My MIL was unable to get out of bed or respond to others when she was in full blown UTI and actually was removed from home by EMT's when she could not respond to questions or directions.
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