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They want me to put her in a Psch hospital to get her meds under control but I am afraid if I do this she will not get back into SNH becasue they only hold bed for 14 days and then you have to pay and she can't afford that. They crush up her meds and put in drink or pudding and she can taste it and won't take them and she won't swallow them. She yells and screams for hours they tell me and disrupts other patients. I am at my wits end to find a solution. I am her only living relative and don't know what to do.

Most medications can be prescribed as patches, suppository form or a palatable liquid. Any of these should be tried first.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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I wouldn’t worry about losing this nursing home. It has to be terrifying for your sister to feel so out of control and have bitter meds shoved at her. Hospitalize her, let her infection be properly treated, have her evaluated for a regime of medication for anxiety to help calm her, get her on a better path. Only then, meet with the hospital social worker about her next place to live. I wish you both peace
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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Has your sister been taken to a reg hospital? If not, demand that she go. She may need IV antibiotics to clear the UTI up. Also, a culture to determine what type of bacteria is causing the UTI so the correct antibiotic is being given. Once at the hospital, talk to the DON and tell her you want a culture. Also, explain that sister won't take pills.

With my Mom, they catherized her to get all the urine out of her bladder. The problem with older women, their bladder does not fully void. She was on IV antibiotics for 2 or 3 days. Then, she was placed on probiotics and cranberry tablets to help deter an occurance of a UTI. She lived about a year after this and did not have another UTI.

I don't understand a Psyhic hospital if the UTI has not been properly addressed. To me, if the UTI is not being cleared up by using pills, then they send her to a reg hospital. You have a right to demand this. You have a right to call 911 to take her but then may lose the bed. This is life and death. Sister can becone septic and that could kill her.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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elisny Nov 7, 2024
For UTIs, D-Mannose (what the cranberry tablets are providing) is the solution for many people (depends on the bacteria).

D-Mannose can be found on Amazon - Now or Solaray brands, and many more.

See also: "Why d-Mannose May Be as Efficient as Antibiotics in the Treatment of Acute Uncomplicated Lower Urinary Tract Infections—Preliminary Considerations and Conclusions from a Non-Interventional Study" --- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8944421/
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Unfortunately I cannot see a solution here. She cannot be in a place where she herself is in constant state of agitation and where she herself is unable to be medically treated for her UTI. At this point it can't be clear if the UTI is the culprit but there are ways of administering antibiotics. This requires, unless she is a hospice patient, a transfer to a medical hospital first of all so that IV or IM injections and administration of medication can cure the UTI. Then assessment.

Yes, she may lose her place in line for a bed. I can't imagine that there is a choice here.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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Many prescription meds are not meant to be broken or crushed and are incomprehensibly bitter and that's why she can taste them and spits them out. There is no masking it.

Also, there is no other solution than to try to make her accept meds -- whatever it takes. My cousin (68 at the time) has early onset ALZ. She got a UTI and wouldn't take the antibiotics. Her son had to physically hold her while someone took them to the ER (she was clawing and fighting him). She ended up staying in the psych ward for several weeks but eventually took the antibiotics, cleared the UTI and was also put on meds for depression/anxiety.

If your sister doesn't go to the psych ward and at least get her UTI under control she will 100% have some other bigger problem, like sepsis, which can be life-threatening and for which she will need to be hospitalized anyway.

Are you your sister's PoA? If not and she doesn't have one, then she should be taken to the ER where you will go with her and ask for a social worker to talk about court-assigned guardianship. A guardian will manage her affairs financial and otherwise, and apply for Medicaid for her, etc. You will then not have to stress over her care and can just have your time together with her. If she doesn't have a PoA and you don't wish to become her guardian, then this is really the only other option.
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Reply to Geaton777
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Shirley, UTIs, can seriously effect the brain. Is she on antibiotics? If not get her on them, and I would wait until the UTI is cleared up before any decisions are made.

Her cognitive function may improve some after the UTI is better.
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Reply to Anxietynacy
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Shirley65 Nov 2, 2024
Yes she is on antibiotics but won't take them or any of her meds. I don't she why putting her in a psych hospital how they are going to get her to take her melds .
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We started the cranberry pills, D Mannos, and probiotics and have not had another UTI. I have seen the wild behaviors that often go with a UTI. You need to talk to her Dr. and come up with a PLAN!!!! A med or meds to help with anxiety which will help with behaviors and med taking. We had to do a hospital stay for IV to knock out one UTI. The meds they give depend upon the bacteria that is currently out of control and they should be testing for that. Unless she has a determination of a mental Illness they should be able to handle this at the nursing home, unless of course they don’t have enough workers or it is mismanaged.
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Reply to RetiredBrain
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Wait. She gets to stay free in the snf unless she leaves for 14 days, and only then does she have to pay? If she’s not on Medicaid, she will have to pay for the month regardless, in which case it’s held for her until December. If she is on Medicaid, the snf might release her bed to someone else after 14 days. In that case, coordinate with hospital discharge to put her in another snf.

In any case, though, they could kick her out for being unmanageable, so best to follow the snf’s suggestion before they make it a mandate.
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Reply to PeggySue2020
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My Mom, 96, is in assisted living, with enhanced care. She will not take medicine crushed in pudding, etc. I explained this to the staff...many times.
If the pill is small, she will swallow the medicine, IF she is told what it is for.
As for the UTI s, she needs antibiotics specific to the bacteria causing it. Is there a doctor on staff?
Best wishes.
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Reply to Chickie1
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uti can be caused by not letting her urinate in time or changing in time. speak with adminstator of the skn facility. no to letting her leave!!
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Reply to lovelyliz
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