My 57-year-old younger brother has been hospitalized with W/K for 7 months with severe short-term memory loss. Any advice?

Cleveland Clinic information:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22687-wernicke-korsakoff-syndrome#:~:text=When%20these%20symptoms%20become%20long,treatment%20with%20thiamine%20is%20essential.

This is so sad, and I'm sorry you're having to deal with this horrible disease. I believe there needs to be more education about Wernicke Korsakoff and how people get it. Drinking alcohol causes it. That's right, the bubbly beverage everyone loves and you can't have a party without booze and you're considered antisocial if you don't join in. We educate people about unsafe sex, peer pressure, drugs, disease - but who ever mentions that alcohol is a drug that although socially acceptable can and does produce a disease like this? We need our brains. Enough can naturally go wrong with them that we can't stop - but we could save people from this.

I wish the syndrome were rarer.

I'm not at all confident that you will appreciate this thought but I can't get past: "save yourself."

If that's too cold, ponder that you have devoted yourself for five years trying to help him and all it's achieved is that he is now in hospital. Making sacrifices is a good, loving and noble thing; but when it doesn't work for the person you're making them for? What then?

Have you accepted any formal legal responsibilities on his behalf?

Alaarc; the hospital cannot release him if it's an "unsafe discharge". They need to keep him.

Just remember that it's THEIR responsibility to find him a placement. The minute you offer to take over, he's entirely YOUR responsibility.

Don't offer. Don't be guilted into thinking that you must do something.

I'm so sorry for your troubles.

I'm not sure I could get a [power of attorney or even a health care proxy in place legally with his frame of mind
thanks

So sorry, poor guy. But you do realize u cannot care for him. The hospital is allowed to restrain but a SNF is not. The facility becomes their home. Its their residence. So by law, no restraints.

As said, its up to the Hospital to find a place that will take him. Do you have POA for him?

Thanks for your very quick response, yes I was referring to Wernike's Kosakoff . He was a 5 year alcoholic who I was trying to care for while , like everyone else has a job, family etc. He was diagnosed with Warnike's when he first entered a local hospital and they, as far as I know, treated him with the typical mega doses of B . He does have lesions on the brain and I believe it has progressed to wernikie Kosakoff. ( making up stories, experiencing hallucinations, lack of motivation . no short term memory over 2 minutes) .The hospital staff is under skilled with this rare syndrome
He has been restrain while in the chair and bed (even using a posy bed at times) to keep him from falling. Outside of his motor skills and probably nerve damage that gives him trouble walking, is in excellent shape. The hospital is hoping to work with him to get him walking enough where a skill nursing home will accept him. They have tried different chemical treatments to keep him calm, none seem to work. He constantly tries to get up because he can't remember being told he's in a restraint. I already appreciate your thoughts, thanks

I would give them permission to chemically restrain him. It's a sad situation but he can't possibly be comfortable with needing physical restraints.

Tell them to try harder, it's their job to find a safe place to discharge him to.

That safe place is NOT your home.

What is W/K?