Med Adjustments Not Working
Does anyone else have experience with the behavioral dementia meds not working anymore?
My dad (70) last year was in a MC facility and sent to the hospital for his behaviors. He'd only been at the MC place for about a month (they'd just found him a place after about a month long stay in a geriatric psych facility to get him on a stable regime of meds.) While he was at the hospital he declined quickly and the Dr said he couldn't go back to MC and needed a SNF. He was stuck at the hospital for nearly a year trying to find a SNF, but was fairly settled with meds and behaviors for that long span.
He'd been transferred to a SNF back at the end of February. I was dreading that move because dad had gotten so comfortable with the nurses at the hospital I thought the transition would be awful. He handled that much better than expected, but I guess his behaviors have finally started back up so the SNF sent him to a geriatric psych unit about 2 weeks ago.
The psych place called yesterday to say that he isn't doing well and asking about a DNR, etc . When they try to adjust his meds he stops eating and drinking but when his meds are lowered his aggression and behaviors start back. He's currently receiving fluids and I guess he's still on a lower dose of meds because they said they had him in mittens to try and stop him from pulling his IVs out. I'm waiting on a call back from the nurse to see what next steps might be. Has anyone else experienced this? I know all dementia experiences are different and my dad has certainly been an unusual case. I just don't know what happens from here. Is this the real beginning of the end for him?