Mom has had diarrhea for many years, I found this out once she went to a SNF. She’d have me go to Walgreens to get her Imodium, the facility she claims said no when she’s run out and asked for something. I’ve done it now for several months, she’s out of the medicine and is blowing my phone up to bring more pills. This to me seems serious and I don’t feel I should be doing this any longer. She needs to get this addressed medically, it could be a litany of different things. Imodium is only a bandaid and I feel like I’m contributing to something bad. She doesn’t listen when I tell her it’s something more serious, she blames it on something from 60 years ago. Need advice please!
You are correct. She may require the imodium for irritable bowel, but she needs to see the doc, explain her symptoms and ask him to add imodium to the medication PRN list.
Other options? Explain to the facility what mom is requesting and tell them without the imodium they may all be in for a poop-storm and that she should see her doctor and get this medication added to her med list. Then leave it to all of them to work out. I would think they would want to address this.
Even though its OT it is a medication that the SNF has to have recorded and a doctor has to order. A resident should not be taking anything not ordered by a doctor. Your Mom having OTC medications in her room is a no no. Usually LPNs do med passes. They can only dispense what is on that residents chart. They have no ability to add or subtract meds or adjust them. If something should happen to your Mom caused by the Imodium, no one whould know she was taking it because its not on her chart. And time would be wasted trying to find the cause of the problem.
I would tell her Nurse that she is a longtime user of Imodium, if you haven't, and tell them she has requested you buy it for her. She may talk another family member into buying it for her.
I assume she doesn’t want to accidentally kill her mother with toxic megacolon or disrupt symptoms so that a medical provider can’t diagnose the issue.
It never ceases to amaze me on posts here how people who are usually seniors themselves still keep their role as small child and continue to let the parent dictate to them how things are going to go.
Thank goodness she is going to reverse course and stop doing it.
If no one has POA, there may be other difficulties around the bend. If you're the one she depends on to be her spokesperson, you need POA. Add it to your list and pursue when you're able.
I have held and do hold POA for several family members. I've learned that it's a bad idea not to have POA if responsible for another's medical care and legal decisions because without it, you have literally no authority. You have all the work and no authority! Big no-no. Mom may not want to grant POA. That's when you submit your resignation of the job of Do Everything For Mom.
I wish you well in these tasks.
STOP doing it right now.
Neither you nor your mother is a health care provider so again, STOP. The medical providers said no, so why in God’s name would you go above them like you and she know better?
They need to figure out the source of her problems. Over treatment of the symptoms is not the correct route to take.