Dealing with Medical People

          Unfortunately, the averages bear has no idea what dementia and Alzheimer's look like. Most of them aren't just ignorant, they are insensitive to the family taking care of them and do not help to preserve the dignity of the parent or spouse.
          Geriatricians specialize in the problems and diseases of old age and aging people. Getting someone hooked up a Geriatrician usually happens AFTER the first symptoms appear. And these symptoms are usually only noticeable if you see them or live with them 24/7.
          My mom has been seeing the same doc for 25 years. (He is also aging.) The idea of bringing her to a new doctor at this time, does not seam reasonable. She recognizes him, recognizes his office and she is seen very quickly when she is there. They have a handi-capable entrance and large bathroom. Here's the deal...when we go to the doc's she tells him everything is "fine,fine" and she feels "great, great". Thankfully she is quite physically healthy except she is unable to give a urine sample on demand.
          I call him outside the room and to tell him what is really going on. I researched the medications and told him what I was thinking. He works closely with me. I continue (and needed) to gather as much information about dementia and medications as I handle. Having a computer and access to the internet is very convenient and time saving. (I have already posted some links on the main page of the blog). The amount of links on Google for dementia is about 4,810,000. That is a lot of information!
          My mother had to be hospitalized for a urological procedure. The anesthesia made her 'loopy'. She was delusional, hallucinating, dis-inhibited (kissing everybody). They had her on a 1:1 aide because of her behavior but neglected to let her surgeon know and they certainly didn't tell me when I was picking her up at discharge. Are you kidding me? I brought her home in that state and the effects of the anesthetize really didn't wear off for days. The first thing she did when we got home was pull out her indwelling catheter. I called her surgeon right away.
          We had to go back to this hospital to be straight catheterized. The E.R. nurse (I am extremely embarrassed for my profession) did not do a mental status exam (ie. do you know what day it is?; do you know where you are?; do you know who is the president?; do you know how old you are?). If she had, she would have known right away that my mother was not oriented and had no recent memory and her older memories were convoluted. I called her outside the room and told this nurse that my mother had moderate dementia. She walked back into the room and said to my mother: "oh, you have dementia?". I couldn't believe it. I thought that not only was the nurse an idiot, but she was also an a**hole. (Again, unbelievably disappointed in my profession.) My mother looked at her with shock on her face. Thankfully, she did not remember what the nurse had said and we went on our merry way after her procedure.
          And eventually, everything settled down and we went back to normal dementia (if there is such a thing).
          The toll on me was significant... but sometimes medical personnel can't see beyond their own little world. Don't forget, we are all going to get old (even you nurses, doctors, and aides) and possibly end up in a hospital. This is how you would want to be treated?  I say, try and keep up, would ya!?