Her facility is pretty awful. They don't change enough which resulted in the uti. She says she has eaten when I visit even though I see food on tray. She won't eat what I bring her. I don't know what to do. Before this she called all the time. Now she's confused. They did eeg in hospital and it came back fine.
As far as the facility they tried to hide the UTI until she was almost unconscious. ER doc said she was fighting EMTs and they put her on a ventilor for several days.
I am a single only child with no family support or car. I am searching for permanent housing myself. I am willing to send her somewhere else if her care us better. I can try to move there.
My question is how long does it typically take to recover from UTI delirium? Also not eating can't be helping. I ask facility questions but they are more about protecting themselves and will lie. It's bad cause I have to work and take a lyft everywhere so I can't visit daily like some.
Also my mom's arm made some type of seizure like flinching in hospital... don't know what that is. They just rushed to release her quick.
I cannot quit my job to monitor this. Any help or ideas would be much appreciated.
very bad UTI can lead to sepsis, which can create permanent damage. did she have sepsis, or only UTI? sepsis can damage the mind and body.
only the doctors know her medical situation. you don’t trust the facility to answer honestly, so ask the hospital doctors.
if possible, please move your mother to a better facility.
you do not give us enough information here.
It sounds as though your mother is aging and in care, but that she is debilitated and deteriorating badly.
While an institution may MISS a UTI, I cannot imagine their HIDING it because patients with a UTI are almost impossible to care for. As to WHY she has it, her incontinence is a problem but more a problem is her AGE (can you tell us what it is) and the normal aging thinning of the muscus membrane lining of the urethra that TYPICALLY makes women so prone to UTIs and other factors of aging.
As to the poor appetite, this is an ongoing problem for seniors and they take in less and less food with the aging and debilitation problems. Ultimately and finally they stop eating. Tube feedings can and are used and in my humble opinion serve only to prolong the torment.
If this UTI has returned ask what dipstick testing is currently being done or when a specimen was last sent. It is almost impossible to get the needed clean-catch specimen in such a patient without catheterization, and that again introduces bacteria. It is a VICIOUS circle.
There may be more going on now. You may be looking at further mental deterioration not involved with UTI. It may be time for Hospice care. You may be looking at end of life care needs. This will also provide a bit more support to your Mom and the staff attempting her care.
I hope that you can tell us more about your Mom. I looked on your profile but there is no information as to her age, condition, how long in care, underlying disease and etc.
I wish you luck and hope you'll update us with more info. For now try not to blame the facility for everything that is happening with and for your mom. They are dealing with these symptoms with any number of people and are as frustrated as you in what to do. In truth, with the aging process, there ultimately is nothing that CAN be done. I'm so sorry.
No wonder many seniors won't eat the food.
I don't know how much you know of sepsis. My brother died of it and it is very much a killer when our big gun antibiotics won't work. It can come of the UTI but it can move through into the bloodstream from any infection anywhere in the body. My brother had a tiny non-healing wound on his shin that no one noticed.
If you are dealing here with sepsis then you need to speak with the doctor. This will be, until there is a cure, a touch and go, life and death situation. Sepsis can shut down the major organs in the body within a week time, and they fall more or less one after the other like a line of dominos.
I wish you the very best. The POA needs to be in touch with the treating MD, the nurse manager and the social workers to coordinate CORRECT information on a daily basis. I hope you'll keep us updated and I wish you the best. This is very critical.
Please know that UTIs are extremely common among elderly women, not just from hygiene but because of physiological changes such as pH and anatomy (ie the bladder muscles weaken and then doesn't fully void when urinating).
In the facility, if she refuses to take the antibiotics for the UTI it is possible she hasn't received ample treatment. Or, if she's in AL she may not be paying for someone to dispense the meds to her.
Talk to the admins or nurse of her facility to find out if she's getting help taking her antibiotics. If not, then this is where I would start to figure out a solution.
If she was at the ER for a UTI why was she put on a ventilator? This has nothing to do with a UTI. Did she have pneumonia and that's why she was "almost unconcious"? Does she have any other medical problems, like COPD?
If you are not her PoA or even her Medical Representative then the medical staff won't be legally able to share her info with you. If no one is her PoA and she is beyond having cognitive capacity to assign one, then eventually either the county or facility will become her legal guardian. Then they will make all her decisions and you won't have any control (although a good guardian will seek your input and consider your situation as well). I wish you success in helping her!
Good information below and definitely talk to her doctor. See the facility director and voice your concerns about her care and eating.
Look online to see how mom's facility is rated by medicare. Frequent UTI's in the facility is a red flag.
Next hospital stay get the social worker involved to possibly get her into another facility.
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