My very reason for going to nursing school, exactly a month after my father passed away from the most heart renching diease, Alzhemier's. My mother did a beautiful job of caring for him, as well as I would drive 3 hours from corpus christi to houston in the middle of night, for the fear that we were loosing him. He did finnally went to heaven, 14 years ago. Anyone that is afflected w/this horrible diease not only do they get my very best I have to offer, but the family needs to have us too. My mother, brother and I didn't have one health care professional at that time that were either empathic or understood. The only book out at that time was the 36 hour day. It wasn't until Ronald Reagan and other big names were diagnosised w/this, that Alzheimers, dementia was given the time of day. My heart out to anyone living with the awareness that someone they love with Alheimer's or any form of dementia.
Claudia
>From: "Holly Sox, RN, RAC-C" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Re: question for group
>Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 08:20:08 -0500
>
>Faye,
>Thanks for sharing this about your mother. My mother has early Alzheimers as well, and my sister absolutely refuses to accept the diagnosis, because Mama "can remember things when she wants to." Mom got lost on the interstate going to my sister's house (which is the house that I grew up in) because a new sign had gone up on the interstate, confusing her as to which exit to take.
>
>I see the biggest deficits for her in the area of decision making ability. She can certainly remember things, and knows who, where and when she is. But when faced with an unfamiliar situation, she is paralyzed, because she does not know what to do.
>
>I agree that decision making is at least as important as orientation in determining whether someone is refusing or declining care versus resisting care as a behavior.
>
>Holly
>Holly F. Sox, RN, RAC-C
>Clinical Editor
>
>www.careplans.com [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Faye Jones
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Friday, February 06, 2004 8:28 AM
> Subject: RE: question for group
>
>
> Just my opinion. Just being alert and oriented x 3 is insufficient evidence of the ability to make a sound judgment or decision. Many dementia residents in the early and sometimes into moderate stages with the assist of appropriate medication can answer appropriately to questions r/t orientation and yet do not have the ability to organize their day and/or make appropriate decisions about their care and well being. We see it everyday here and I deal with it in my personal life. My mom has Alzheimer's and is totally alert and oriented most of the time, can relate her past right down to word for word conversations but has to be supervised day to day or she would forget meals, wear the same clothes day after day etc. I have to attend all MD visits etc cause she can't manage her own health care decisions. I use both orientation and decision making ability as a basis to determine resistance vs informed refusal. To me the ability to re fuse has in it the ability comprehend/process information given and understand the negative outcomes involved.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 9:00 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: question for group
>
>
>
> In a message dated 2/5/2004 7:34:34 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
> Now we are wondering how long we would continue to mark that or is he resisting care (E4e)?
>
> Remember, if he is alert and oriented, he can't be considered as "resisting care."
