MIL, 89, general mental decline and dementia. Carers reported that she was confused, drowsy and didn’t want to get out of bed which is entirely unlike her. Rang GP Surgery to request a home visit. I went down straight after work, but just missed GP, who had left a note saying that MIL is constipated and needs to increase her daily Laxido dose to clear it. Asked her when she last opened her bowels but she can’t remember. Rang GP to ask why an “opening medicine” has been prescribed to help with mental confusion and unusual/increased lethargy … GP didn’t know, just mentioned it and MIL agreed she hasn’t passed a motion for days … Care company notes on the table for all to read says she is loose most days and records the fact that she is increasingly confused and not herself mentally … Total farce, waste of GP resources and everyone’s time, and now MIL will be soiling herself between care visits so even more distressed … what an absolute joke the NHS in this country is these days …
How ridiculous.
Will the paid carers have to give the increased dose until the GP reverses the instructions?
I rang Care providers who thought it was equally ridiculous, and was going to ring GP, but then said she had another call coming in from the surgery, so left it with them to sort out as they administer her meds anyway.
How silly. You are in my prayers.
Asking a dementia patient a question about the last few days is at best riotously optimistic. Taking action based on their answers without further investigation is highly questionable.
This is an interesting one, in that I question the efficiency and rationale for many NHS services.
My MIL clearly has long standing health anxiety, which only now, one of the GPs in her practice acknowledges.
For years she has attended appointments based on what she has read about symptoms etc, and has never once been challenged by a doctor who, without question has referred her for tests. She has never allowed anyone to accompany her until she has had to due to age.
This has gone on for years even for repeat issues that she has raised and been tested negatively for.
This has meant that when she has attended hospitals, the list of ailments and subsequent medications is huge, making her health appear far worse than it is.
When myself or her son try and tell them that tests were negative and she has never been diabetic, had an “ enlarged heart “ etc etc… we are ignored whilst my MIL, who swears she has these things, is believed.
No further testing has been done and her hospital notes remain unchanged. Recently she had yet another ECG in A&E, which was fine. However, when she complained of dizziness she was referred for one again ( 5 weeks later). I contacted the hospital to say she had recently had the relevant test, and the nurse said that if it was done in A&E, they couldn’t access it in the cardiology dept!!!
For heavens sake!
When I finally managed to speak to a GP , I asked why MIL keeps thinking she is going to die or has a serious illness and spends her time reading the side effects of various drugs ( which she then invariably gets!) the doctor said she had health anxiety and should be on medication for that. She admitted no one had ever been brave enough to raise this with her…
But what a huge waste of time and money- endless tests over the years and medications provided which she doesn’t take because she knows she doesn’t need them.
I fear a degree of cognitive decline is kicking in, which makes it even more difficult to deal with.
She is 96 in August, so has clearly never had any serious issues and has the constitution of an ox - but at the the expense of everyone else’s mental health!
When this happened with my Mom it was always a urinary track infection. Perhaps it is worth getting her urine tested. I believe it is a common issue and easily solved. Good luck.
She’s had it done numerous times.
Never any issues.