Either dad has given up on himself the last couple of days or one of his illnesses has progressed and I will know soon. What do you think?
I have really been observing Dad the last couple of days. A lot more than usual. He used to sleep about 15 hours a day and now I noticed the last couple of days he eats and watches little TV and then goes right back to bed. He is starting to look really worn out and tired. Earlier he went to the bathroom and was gone for a long time. I went to check on him and ask if he was alright and he just snapped at me especially when I opened the door because he wouldn't respond to me. He was sitting on the top of the toilet seat cover and looked as though he was too weak to get up from there. Now he is starting to look like a bum and not trying to do anything with his personal hygiene right now. He won't even listen and stares right past me and he will not accept help from me. He just says he will get around to it. The sugar eating has slowed a lot and the meals I give him he eats but acts like he doesn't want it. He has started drinking more water but it isn't improving his urine. It is still very bad but I don't hear him complain about having to go urinate a lot like he was. Whichever illness this is that is destroying him is progressing fast.
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It's torture for us when they leave us in the 'not knowing land' due to their own stubborness. It's selfish of them. Wanted my mom to go in today when my husband had time off. She refused. I fully expect her to ruin the New Year's Day. Probably will be in the ER.
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Have you discussed his behavior and symptoms with his PCP and/or the doctor who is following his dementia? It would be good to find out if there is anything going on that could be improved by treatment. I'd start there.
People with dementia decline -- they get worse -- and eventually they die. Perhaps what you are observing is decline.
I wonder if this would be a good time to consider a hospice evaluation. If it isn't appropriate at this time, it will be in the future, and starting by setting up a contact now might be a good move.
I am sorry.
being very thirsty
frequent urination
weight loss
increased hunger
blurry vision
irritability
tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
frequent skin, bladder or gum infections
wounds that don't heal
extreme unexplained fatigue
You could check his blood sugar level at home, if you care to buy an inexpensive tester.
But what if you find out he has diabetes? Or liver problems? Or cancer? Or a UTI? If he refuses treatment then knowing what he has might not be so helpful.
Has hospice stopped coming because he rejects them?
Meanwhile, I think I'd drop taking his glucose readings. What you are getting is consistently high for a person who doesn't have diabetes. Not in a danger range, but not "normal." But the reading is only useful if you are going to do something about it. I take my reading 3 or 4 times a day because that tells me how much insulin to take. It may be useful to take a reading multiple times a day a week or two before seeing a doctor, for the doctor to see a pattern. But just taking the reading and doing nothing about it is like taking your temperature several times a day with no plan to do anything different based on the numbers.
Taking a blood glucose reading is not curative. In its self, it in no way improves the person's health. Since your stubborn dad is so resistant to your efforts to care for him, perhaps giving this action up would make him feel good.
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