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My wife is 86 years old. She was on benzos for 50 years. No one has said she has dementia, but it seems like she does. Last week, she went to the hospital because she couldn't walk. She says she is in pain and wants to go to the hospital. The hospital did an MRI, a CAT scan, and an ultrasound. They sent her home and didn't find any reason to keep her in the hospital.

She probably had a stroke..did they check her brain with a ct scan? What about her legs? Did a vein specialist check for blood clots? Doesn’t seem like a very thorough exam in hospital. They usually like to just get rid of old people from ER fast unfortunately
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Reply to CaregiverL
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Has she been evaluated for OSA? (Obstructive sleep apnea). If she has this, she will fall sleep anytime she sits still for more than a short period of time. Does she have narcolepsy? These are two very different diagnoses with different treatments. Get her to a neurologist ASAP. You need to know what you are dealing with before you can make a care plan.
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Reply to DrBenshir
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I am very sorry about your wife. If you have any family around, please reach out to them to help you. Your wife needs to sleep under Hospice Care.
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Reply to Onlychild2024
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Did they do an MRI of her brain? Is her bloodwork normal? Is she taking drugs now that make her sleep? Just some questions that you might consider. My mom was addicted to pain meds and it was very difficult to get her off of them. She finally admitted she hid them all over the house. Keep giving her coffee and watch her to see if she is self-medicating.
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Reply to CareforMominTN
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She is in the process of dying
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Reply to Evonne1954
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Xfinity83: She requires a test for cognition.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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You have 2 options;
Let her rest and call hospice. She may be ready to die at home.

If she is asking to go to a hospital, you could have her admitted to a skilled nursing facility, (nursing home) which will feel much like a hospital and will have round the clock care.

You say she was on benzos for 50 years. Did she stop? If she stopped using the medication abruptly, it would cause serious withdrawal effects! Mention that to her doctor if that is the case.
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Reply to CaringWifeAZ
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Your wife should have been given a cognizance test for dementia while in the hospital, and would've been had you asked or expressed your concerns. I can tell you, my friend has a husband who's in his mid 50s, took benzos and drank for 30 yrs. His brain is now so fried that he can no longer function, work, or even walk further than 100 yards. This is why the DEA cracked down on prescription opioids and benzo drugs being handed out to patients like candy.

You may want to call a hospice company now for an evaluation for your wife, I'm sorry to say.

Best of luck with a difficult situation.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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If your wife isn't eating and is sleeping a lot, it may be time to bring hospice on board, as those can be signs of end of life.
You can call the hospice agency of your choice and they will come out and do an assessment.
And of course if your wife's care is getting to be too much for you, you may have to look into placing her in the appropriate facility, where hospice can assist her there as well.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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How did she get to the hospital? Did you go along and request testing for your suspicions of dementia? Either she needs a more complete medical evaluation or there’s missing information from her recent hospital visit. Can you take her to a doctor and express your concerns?
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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