Hello there,
My name is Lozza and I'm all new to this so bear with me.
My dad suffers with Parkinsons and has done for the last 3 years. Unfortuantely in the last few months I have noticed a great decline in his health. I kept going on at my mum to get it checked as he kept falling and they were not getting any help from the doctors or calling out for paramedics. To cut a long story short my dad had a fall weekend before last and was admitted to hospital for x-rays etc which were all clear. Tnen in the week my mum called our local gp as my dad was getting more and more confused and struggling to walk about and was just generally talking nonsense. Eventually they managed to get him to go to the hospital for the week to monitor his movements, hallucinations and general well being. Well on Saturday, he fell whilst in hospital and has now broken his leg :( He has now been transferred to another hospital and after two days of having his operation cancelled, he had his operation yesterday which included a blood transfusion. I am totally shocked at the care he has recieved I have to say. The hospital staff didn't even pick him up off the florr when he fell, it was only when my brother asked if they were going to do anything that they bothered. Also, he had kidney cancer a few years back and had it removed, so I was disgusted to find out that he had been left since Saturday evening without food or water as they had kept cancelling. Yet again it took one of the family to point out that my dad was severely dehydrated and why he was not put on a drip or given anything to eat or drink since his operation was cancelled yet again.
I have to say I am really concerned about my dad as I do not think he will get through this. He seems to be in a constant state of confusion and is talking all sorts of wonderful and weird stuff which we all go along with. I just want my old dad back and I can't see it happening. He is also getting aggresive too, is this normal? He whacked a poor nurse in the face Saturday night whilst she tried to change his dressing. I was mortified both for her and my dad. Is this normal as well? He keeps pulling on his sheets and pulling on his bandages, he's pulled out his cannular and he seems to be in a totally diffent place. I really do not know what to do and my mum has said that if he is aggresive she doesn't want to see him?
I'd be grateful of any replies to help me along
Lozza x x x
Hello Lozza and welcome to the forum.
What a time your father has been having.
General Hospitals are not friendly places for people who are confused, delusional, hallucinating. You say your father was getting confused before he had the fall which resulted in his hospital stay. This could have been caused by his medication, or an infection, or dehydration or just a progression of his condition. Equally his present confusion and aggression could well be caused by the dehydration you say he has suffered in hospital.
It sounds as if your mum has maybe reached the end of her tether. Perhaps things have been worse than she has let on to you. It definitely seems as if they need some help and support. Will they let you talk to their GP? Do they have a Parkinsons' nurse? If so she would be the person to approach. Or try the helpline (phone number at the top of the page). Believe me this has all happened before to other people. You are not alone!
Do keep posting and let us know how things go.
What a time your father has been having.
General Hospitals are not friendly places for people who are confused, delusional, hallucinating. You say your father was getting confused before he had the fall which resulted in his hospital stay. This could have been caused by his medication, or an infection, or dehydration or just a progression of his condition. Equally his present confusion and aggression could well be caused by the dehydration you say he has suffered in hospital.
It sounds as if your mum has maybe reached the end of her tether. Perhaps things have been worse than she has let on to you. It definitely seems as if they need some help and support. Will they let you talk to their GP? Do they have a Parkinsons' nurse? If so she would be the person to approach. Or try the helpline (phone number at the top of the page). Believe me this has all happened before to other people. You are not alone!
Do keep posting and let us know how things go.
Lozza, I do sympathise with the treatment that your father has received BUT have they dine a simple blood test do determine whether his confusion is down to a bladder/kidney infection?
Additionally, Parkinson medication may not be absorbed when also suffering from constipation................dehydration also contributes to constipation..........constipation does happen in Parkinsons, as we know to our cost.
Hello everyone,
Many thanks for your replies.
Well after 2 days of cancelling my dad's op he finally went down. Unfortunately nobody seemed bothered that he hadn't eaten or drunk for those two days (he only has one kidney too due to cancer few years back)so it was upto my older brother to loose the plot so to speak before they connected him to a drip.
He seemed for a few days and was in his chair, my dad was still confused but seemed ok. Then he has been in bed for 3 days just sleeping, he looks awful. I just burst out crying Wednesday night, just to see him laying there yet again. Apparently alot of patients are like this and could be for weeks. I'm not too sure.
Anyway, saw my dad yesterday afternoon and he was in his chair. He was mumbling away and I couldn't quite get what of all he was saying. He only had two mouthfuls of his dinner and two of his pudding, I cannot see the nurses sitting with him trying to help him feed. Surely he cannot survive just on that? :(
He is due to be transferred back to local hospital on 19th June but of course I am really worried about this, as this is where he had his fall :(
The poor man has lost all his dignity, it's heart breaking, I really don't know what to do, I just want my dad back
Lozza x
Many thanks for your replies.
Well after 2 days of cancelling my dad's op he finally went down. Unfortunately nobody seemed bothered that he hadn't eaten or drunk for those two days (he only has one kidney too due to cancer few years back)so it was upto my older brother to loose the plot so to speak before they connected him to a drip.
He seemed for a few days and was in his chair, my dad was still confused but seemed ok. Then he has been in bed for 3 days just sleeping, he looks awful. I just burst out crying Wednesday night, just to see him laying there yet again. Apparently alot of patients are like this and could be for weeks. I'm not too sure.
Anyway, saw my dad yesterday afternoon and he was in his chair. He was mumbling away and I couldn't quite get what of all he was saying. He only had two mouthfuls of his dinner and two of his pudding, I cannot see the nurses sitting with him trying to help him feed. Surely he cannot survive just on that? :(
He is due to be transferred back to local hospital on 19th June but of course I am really worried about this, as this is where he had his fall :(
The poor man has lost all his dignity, it's heart breaking, I really don't know what to do, I just want my dad back
Lozza x