Grandma Slack

You may know that I have been taking care of my grandparents since my dad died 5 years ago. My grandma has been suffereing from dementia for about the last 2 years. She has worsened since about August/September 2009. I was able to keep them at home in Pittsburg until that time with the help of a lady that would come in and check on them. We moved grandma into a nursing home in October. My grandpa followed shortly behind after a series of events that proved they just couldn't be home anymore. It has been one of the hardest things for me to do but I really didn't have any other option. Mid December my grandma started having some behavioral issues and they took her to the doctor. At that time she was admitted to the hospital. Up until this point she was talking, feeding, and ambulating on her own. It may not have made a whole lot of sense but she knew who we were and enjoyed having a conversation etc. To make a long story as short as possible, she was in this hospital for about 5 weeks and I tried and tried to get her out but they kept saying she was worsening and needed to be there. I finally asked how they were justifying her stay to Medicare and they let her out. When she got out she was no longer feeding her self, couldn't walk, only moaned and drooled, was confined to a wheel chair, and could no longer hold her head up. Being an RN, I don't have unrealistic miracle expectations for a recovery, I know that her dementia will progress and eventually this will be her normal. But i just couldn't understand how this just came about when she was admitted to the hospital. Last weekend Lance and I went back to Pittsburg and I went to visit her in the nursing home. She didn't know I was there, who I was and couldn't talk to me. I was prepared for this as I was informed this was her new "normal". I just had a hard time accepting the fact that there was no medical reason for this sudden decline (stroke, etc). In talking with the director of nursing at the nursing home she was surprised that just 5 weeks earlier grandma was a completely different person. We decided to give a hospitalization one last shot. So we asked Generations from Miami,OK to come evaluate her. They were hesitant to take her but I stressed the fact that I understood if they couldn't do anything, and I wasn't looking for a miracle. So they took her. Trying to shorten the story again...She went Tues and on Thursday she called me and I actually had a coherent conversation. Of course, not everything made sense, she does have alzheimer's but she is feeding herself and walking on her own again. They adjusted her meds and she is doing so much better. I gues what I am getting at is go with your gut. I now know I have tried everything and my sense of guilt is gone for now. I feel I have done right by her for now. I know eventuallly the way she was before this new treatment will be her norm but am thankful that they were able to give her a better quality of life for now.