Posted 10-29-19
We are officially in that time of year again! You know the one…where you walk into the school, the movie theater or the nursing home and immediately you feel the onslaught of germs from the multitude of sneezers, hackers, coughers, snorters, throat clearers, and otherwise phlegmy types. Mom has been pretty good at skirting most of these bugs, but this week is different. (Get out the Germ-X!)
This week’s bug du-jour is more of a southern hemisphere thing, if you will. There is a lower GI infection sweeping the building at mom’s nursing home. The already locked-down memory unit is super hard hit although it is everywhere including mom. Diarrhea is bad for anyone. Millions die from dehydration caused by this mess yearly. If you have conditions under the dementia umbrella of symptoms, it is a real drag and it is a killer. Be sure to thank your nurses for their care during this mess.
- Fever above 101 F
- Blood in the stool. Check their anus and buttocks for any cuts or irritation first. But get to a doctor if there’s a lot of blood, or the stools are black and tarry or cranberry-colored.
- Belly pain or swelling
- Vomiting blood or black, coffee-like granules, or they vomit for more than 24 hours
Call their doctor if your loved one has:
- More than six unformed or watery stools in a 24-hour period
- Greasy, pale, foul-smelling stools
- Constipation followed by diarrhea
- Diarrhea that lasts longer than a week
- Slow weight loss even though they’re eating
- Nausea or belly pain for more than 2 days
- A low-grade fever (99-101 F) that lasts for more than 2 days
- Signs of dehydration, like rarely peeing, dark yellow urine, dry tongue, sunken eyes, confusion, weakness, a fast heart rate, or trouble talking
Your loved one is more easily distracted and forgetful than usual, has less energy, sees things that aren’t there, has sudden changes in personality and behavior, is strangely emotional, or rambles when they talk. - Read more about this topic at: Source
More often than not, in a nursing home setting , the patient will be treated with meds and/or be put on the BRAT diet. While this may be a rerun for you if you have kids, here is the skinny on the BRAT diet: For at least 24 hours all you are to eat is Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and/or Toast. Lots of fiber and binding items to hopefully end the condition quickly. Some doctors (typically pediatricians) are recommending against this diet because they believe it doesn’t provide enough nutrients to help the digestive system recover. They typically offer a variation on the diet with more fruits and fiber-laden foods. Regardless, expect a different diet in the short term. Yesterday, mom had broth, chocolate pudding (which was dumb since chocolate is sort of a diuretic) and three different beverages. I will check on her today a few times because you have to stay on top of this situation.
I am not a doctor, nor the son of one, but it seems logical to me to do whatever it takes to stop this dehydration-causing condition as quickly as possible. Trust your medical team and be 100% sure your loved one is drinking more clear liquids than ever. Most patients cannot afford weight loss and surely don’t need the many harms of dehydration adding to the non-fun!
Add this one to the list of why this disease is the pits!
#EndALZ
Last little note: Sometime between now and January I will be doing a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s research since there may be a genetic link and I have several family members with the disease. Here is the study I am involved with and I will fill you in as it happens:
You know I love Monk!
Top 5 favorite series for me for sure…