The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #142631   Message #3889157
Posted By: frogprince
18-Nov-17 - 02:34 PM
Thread Name: Jane's Rainbow: for all needing support & comfort
Subject: RE: Jane's Rainbow: for all needing support & comfort
I'll put this here, and on another thread; it's taken me a few days to do it. For any here who wouldn't know, my wife suffered total heart blockage in June 2012. It was twenty minutes between total arrest and resucitation. She recovered with no real physical disability at all. She has been able to do her own personal care, other than keeping track of pills and insulin. It's been up to me to cook and keep track of any schedules, but, no big deal; we've traveled to interesting places and life has been good.

Life-long diabetics are very subject to dementia, and to early onset. Judy's neurologist confirmed probable alzheimer's a year or so ago. Her ability to do things for herself began slipping away. We arranged a care-giver for three days of the week, and with that respite, we've been doing okay. A couple of weeks ago, her condition dropped off abruptly, to where she would not allow me to give her necessary care safely at home. Our care-giver came in daily while I arranged placement in a nearby facility; even so, I had take her for emergency hospitalization for a couple of days before we got her situated.

In the hospital she was restless, but cooperative with nurses and doctors. We took her to the care home Friday morning, a week ago. Thursday they asked me to come in for a meeting. She has been refusing to take her meds, or get up for meals. We arranged hospice status. By their definitions for hospice, they will continue the same care she would have received, so far as remains possible without force or restraint. They will not send her for hospitalization. We had completed a DNR a couple of years ago.

I think she is in the hands of good people, who will do the best that can be done. But my heart is in pieces.
                            Dean.