We don't know where to turn....all of our lives our dad has had mental issues. He has been medically disabled for the past 30 years due to his bipolar disorder. For the past 12 weeks our dad has been in and out of the ER/hospital/skilled nursing facities. He was living on his own prior to his getting sick 12 weeks ago. His first hospital stay was due to sepsis (he was all detoxing from heavy use of oxycodon-long history of addiction to pain meds). He was sent to rehab to get stronger and they released him because he was not compliant with therapy. He was released from the rehab facility and was sent home. The same day, my sister and I had to call 911 to get him back to the hospital. He was not safe to be at home. We were told he was completely competent. At the ER, he was diagnosed with metabolic encephalopathy. He was also severly excoriated from neglect at the facility (he contracred c-diff while at the hospital.) He was in the hospital for about a week and then sent to another rehab. He was there for almost 2 weeks and then released because he was not compliant with therapy. He was home for about 4 days and then we had to take him back to the ER because he was not safe to be at home. He wasn't eating on his own and was incontinent. He was placed in a mental institution under an involuntary committal. We thought a change in his meds much help. He seemed to do ok when we saw him, but was not cooperative with the doctor or social worker at the mental hospital. During his stay, dad started swelling. We notified the staff on two separate occasions because he is prone to congestive heart failure. We were called about 10 days later stating he was having an anxiety attack and they were transporting him to the hospital "just in case." He was admitted from the ER because he was in congestive heart failure and literally drowning in his own fluids...not having a panic attack. During all of this time his psych meds have been adjusted multiple times and some of them caused severe aggitatiom/aggression. Once he was recovered from the chf, the mental facility released him and said that he was back to baseline. So, once again, we were looking at rehab. While waiting on a placement, the hospitalist diagnosed him with Parkinson's with lewy body dementia. He was transferred to a new rehab. The second day he was there my sister and I get a call stating that he was being combative and unplugged the Christmas tree twice. We go see him and he was agitated, but not violent. Yesterday, I get a call from the NP stating that he is a danger to the staff and residents. He said that dad tried to hit him. I am not saying that he didn't, but I feel like this facility was done with him when we told them that we were looking at several memory care facilities...not just theirs. They sent him to the ER, once again, yesterday morning. Since nothing is acutely wrong with dad, he will not be admitted to the hospital. He is still in the ER waiting on a placement. He has been involuntarily committed again. In our area, none of the mental hospitals are willing to take him. They say he is to complicated medically. We are at a loss. We have been trying to get him VA benefits, but he cannot apply until he is paying for his care in an assisted living. He us a Vietnam vet who served in Korea. During his time un Korea, the DMZ was sprayed with agent orange. We believe that he was exposed during that time. It could explain a lot of problems that is is experiencing. My sister and I are exhausted...mentally, physically and emotionally. We are both in our 30's and have young children. We do not know where to turn. He cannot be the only person with bipolar n Parkinson's and lewy body dementia. He also can't be the first person who has had violent outbursts. We are desperate for help!
Blessings,
Jamie