She had CHF and COPD (non-smoker), is mostly bedridden however, can get to the bathroom with her walker. She has some cognitive decline and has started yelling at the staff, her roommate and the roommate’s daughters and swears/name-calls them. She’s mad at me all the time and my sis and I wonder if she needs meds to calm her. I think she’s in more pain than she lets on. Her legs hurt all the time but she tells the R.N. at the NH and also the hospice nurses that she’s not in pain. We wonder if pain meds might help with her horrible temper and the yelling/name-calling. What should we do?
there can be many reasons.
It could be UTI
It could be a more rapid decline in cognitive function.
The Hospice nurse will talk to the Hospice doctor about the change. The medication for a UTI or medication for anxiety are both possible.
You may want to try some anxiety meds.
Im not you so ignore anything that doesn’t apply. But if I went into hospice I would choose max morphine and advocate that my next of kin keep it up if I could not.