My eldely mother was diagnosed with a UTI. We have her at home but she is weak and talking (randomly) non stop even in her sleep. She refuses hospital treatment. I'm new at this. Any advice will help.
She shouldn't need hospitalization for a UTI unless it has become septic, which can be life threatening. Diagnosis is very important and treatment with antibiotics. Has she seen her doc? The test should be done by culture so proper antibiotic is prescribed.
This is not necessarily so. There are many situations in which the person with a UTI may require hospitalization besides sepsis. Extreme dehydration is the most common and often times the reason the person has contracted a UTI to begin with.
She needs to go to the ER now. UTIs in the elderly can be serious. Your Mom is already showing signs its serious with her being weak and probably confusion. She will probably need antibiotics thru an IV. Make sure they catherize her to get all the urine out of her bladder. That they do a culture to make sure the correct antibiotic is being used. Some have penicillin in them so if she is sensitive to it or allergic make them aware of this.
To prevent them in the future, put her on a probiotic and cranberry capsules. Make sure she completely voids. That she cleans herself well, if she can't u need to. Plenty of water. Alva has a product she swears by. She will be chiming in.
Call 9ll and have her transported by ambulance to the hospital. When she was diagnosed did they give her medication then and there? Is she taking it? A person this elderly with a UTI is no longer in control of what should or should not be done. It causes serious mental changes. You might, given covid and the overwhelmed conditions in hospital, consider an emergency call to care provider or doctor this a.m. to say she will be on her way to ER unless they can think of another way.
This is a situation in which you don't accept the refusal of the sick person to get treatment. You simply call 911; you don't ask permission to do that.
****update*** Sorry for delay..been crazy. I took mom to ER and she was given an antibiotic and kept over night. Expecting to talk to the doctor in the morning. Thank you to all who assisted me with this matter. Never knew a UTI was so serious.
Linda, so glad you got treatment. So glad you got to us, and hope you will stay here on forum, and help us inform others. Hope you'll update us as your Mom improves.
Had this happen 2 weeks ago a head nurse told me to give wife 2 Alka-Seltzer and would be gone in 24 hours... You an Google this for pros and cons but very inexpensive and did work.
This I have never heard of. May work if infection caught early. May not if allowed to go to long. But very interesting. May depend on what type of infection too.
To keep them from coming back cranberry pills and a probiotic may help. My Mom was without a UTI for a year before she passed. As I said earlier Alva recommends D-Mannose.
UTI's are very common with potentially deadly outcome. If your mother is dealing with a dementia it will exacerbate her symptoms, likely dramatically. Yes, to cranberry juice... even watered down. It's helps keep the bacteria from sticking to the wall of the bladder. If the infection has spread systemically, you'll have a very sick person shortly... This is when things get challenging, when the immune system starts to tank. There are some real soul searching aspects to caregiving to a beloved one, we love life and do everything we can to sustain it. However, the writing is on the wall, for all of us. Compassion for our beloved, and compassion for ourselves is the lesson.
I am a believer in D- Mannose. Cheap on amazon; I use Source Natural, taken once a day. Works like cranberry but much more strongly and not acidic. Keeps bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall. If you break open capsule or use the powder no fear of the big size of the capsules. I was getting more than four UTI a year and they were moving up into the kidney. Was getting threatened with prophylactic cipro and you know how they now hate cipro. I haven't had a UTI in more than a decade. As an old retired RN I am basically a western medicine gal who doesn't like supplements and vitamins at all, except THIS supplement. I swear by it. Have recommended now to a total of 6 people with four having results like I did and two not. Worth a try. Tasteless sprinkled on food.
Not sure why she would need hospital treatment, but even if she does - tell dr she doesn't want to go to hosp and ask for antibiotic that she can take as oral medication. Does she have visiting nurse? Nurse can take urine sample to the lab and if test result shows infection (or yeast), results to doctor could get the Rx order done. If she doesn't have visiting nurse, ask the doctor to set it up for you. It is quite helpful, especially w/covid risk of going to the dr's office, to get blood work, urine testing, and regular vital checks done.
UTI can cause confusion, crazy talking, personality changes and more. Commonly, it would just be treated with oral antibiotics.
Home nursing has been a great help for my mom. The nurse checked w/doctor when it was about time for check up visit and dr ordered all the labs for nurse to do. Dr's office told me mom didn't have to do a face to face visit again until time for her annual check up - and we might be doing that by video.
"UTI can cause confusion, crazy talking, personality changes and more."
It is so bizarre what UTIs can do to elders, especially those with dementia. OP didn't indicate dementia, but either way, it doesn't always present as painful urination (one time I wasn't even up there in age, and the day after a physical, they called to tell me they called in an Rx. No pain, nothing.)
Anyway - I was a skeptic when I first joined the forum and read so many suggestions to check for UTI. My mother used to have UTIs, one or more times/year, but she knew when she had one and was able to go for treatment on her own. The first one she had after moving to MC resulted in severe sun-downing, demanding to get out, had to go home, had guests coming and setting off all the door alarms! She hadn't had any sun-downing before, and none since! Subsequent UTIs have shown up as night time bed wetting for her.
So we have to be aware of our LOs "normal" and beware any sudden changes in behavior and demeanor. You could keep some OTC home test kits on hand. These aren't as sensitive or specific as a culture, but can give you a head's up.
Also, if UTI is Dxed and Rx dispensed, do monitor whether there is improvement. My daughter was given antibiotic at 9 mo for an ear infection. Turns out she is allergic to that particular medication, so she didn't get better, she got worse! She couldn't keep down water, developed hives, AND it wasn't treating the ear infection! Once switched to another medication, all was good!
So WE have to be vigilant, esp for the dementia patients. They, like a 9 mo old, can't always speak for themselves!
Imho, you should speak to her physician to inform them about the UT.I. Please do not let it go unresolved as it can manifest into hallucinations. Prayers sent.
I wish the Administers had the option of the OP at least be able to shut down there own thread once they have updated. They allow for a response to be reported but not a thread.
poor thing. she's scare. i wouldn't want to go to any hospital at this time its the Cov. ask a pharmacist what could be used over the counter or other. you could put it in her food if the doc says its ok. otherwise , maybe the doc has a liquid or something. do some research. please dont take her to the hospital for that it could turn out to be worse. she probably need some vitamins. make some smooties. make it a family thing like a game everyone drinks so she wont feel some way.
OP took her Mom to the ER. By the time a person with a UTI becomes confused and combative, the UTI has become serious. They need IV antibiotics at that time. Its very serious, can be cause septis and death. Especially in men death can occur. Elderly do not show the same signs, like burning sensation, that younger people do.
To prevent them in the future, put her on a probiotic and cranberry capsules. Make sure she completely voids. That she cleans herself well, if she can't u need to. Plenty of water. Alva has a product she swears by. She will be chiming in.
You might, given covid and the overwhelmed conditions in hospital, consider an emergency call to care provider or doctor this a.m. to say she will be on her way to ER unless they can think of another way.
UTI’s are very serious for the elderly. She needs to see a doctor immediately or go to the ER.
This is a situation in which you don't accept the refusal of the sick person to get treatment. You simply call 911; you don't ask permission to do that.
To keep them from coming back cranberry pills and a probiotic may help. My Mom was without a UTI for a year before she passed. As I said earlier Alva recommends D-Mannose.
UTI can cause confusion, crazy talking, personality changes and more. Commonly, it would just be treated with oral antibiotics.
Home nursing has been a great help for my mom. The nurse checked w/doctor when it was about time for check up visit and dr ordered all the labs for nurse to do. Dr's office told me mom didn't have to do a face to face visit again until time for her annual check up - and we might be doing that by video.
"UTI can cause confusion, crazy talking, personality changes and more."
It is so bizarre what UTIs can do to elders, especially those with dementia. OP didn't indicate dementia, but either way, it doesn't always present as painful urination (one time I wasn't even up there in age, and the day after a physical, they called to tell me they called in an Rx. No pain, nothing.)
Anyway - I was a skeptic when I first joined the forum and read so many suggestions to check for UTI. My mother used to have UTIs, one or more times/year, but she knew when she had one and was able to go for treatment on her own. The first one she had after moving to MC resulted in severe sun-downing, demanding to get out, had to go home, had guests coming and setting off all the door alarms! She hadn't had any sun-downing before, and none since! Subsequent UTIs have shown up as night time bed wetting for her.
So we have to be aware of our LOs "normal" and beware any sudden changes in behavior and demeanor. You could keep some OTC home test kits on hand. These aren't as sensitive or specific as a culture, but can give you a head's up.
Also, if UTI is Dxed and Rx dispensed, do monitor whether there is improvement. My daughter was given antibiotic at 9 mo for an ear infection. Turns out she is allergic to that particular medication, so she didn't get better, she got worse! She couldn't keep down water, developed hives, AND it wasn't treating the ear infection! Once switched to another medication, all was good!
So WE have to be vigilant, esp for the dementia patients. They, like a 9 mo old, can't always speak for themselves!
Try giving her something natural such as gran berry juice. In the meantime, notify her doctor asap.