Mom has had 4 falls since Christmas Eve. She's on Xarelto. There's concern of what to do. Leave her on it or take her off of it? If she stays on it she's at risk of falling and having a brain bleed; if she comes off, she's at risk of having a stroke or massive heart attack. At this late stage, is one worse over the other?
I'm hoping palliative care will be extra hands on for my mother's care, and I'm also wondering, since the AL facility recommended it for her, that Mom is heading toward hospice faster than I realize.
Thoughts?
I would take my mthr off her blood thinner in the hopes that it would shorten her ALZ journey and I would make sure mthr has a DNR in place. Mthr was eligible for hospice once she crossed that Stage 7 threshold, and it is very nice to have the extra eyes on her to know when she's in pain for arthritis, for example. But she is alone in her own world except for brief moments when someone is right in front of her face. I would not want to be so alone.
I just read your profile. You are having a tough time, I can tell. What I had to keep asking myself was, would I want to continue living with all these meds, assistance with daily living activities? Would my mom, in her right mind, want to continue this hopeless battle?
Mom died over 2 years ago. Now I’m going through the same decision process with dad. To what extent should I demand medical intervention for various crisis and ailments?
Its tough but we must think about what is best for the elders not whats best for us. Don’t let grief and guilt guide your decision making.
Best wishes to you.