Drugs

Hi Everyone,
Yesterday I attended a meeting dealing with caring in general in the community. The point I wished to put across, was about the carer's control for a loved one who was incapable of of communicating with medical staff. From my experience I've found doctors and nurses prescribing anti-psychotic drugs as a matter of course to patients with AD, in hospitals, Nursing Homes and in their own homes without recourse to their care givers.
In my own case I found this happening and when I discovered I was very upset. As a result I removed my wife from a 'Home' I took control by discontinued all medication. My expressed the was, view that too often the answers to problems were tackled by a "sticking a plaster" solutions, instead of tackling the underlying causes.
Imagine my shock to discover while watching the late evening news to find my worst fears confirmed.
A Government ordered review had found that about 145,000 people with dementia are wrongly being prescribed powerful anti-psychotic medication which cause around 1,800 deaths a year! These drugs are administered for: agitation, aggression, wandering and shouting.
I have said before on this site "If someone put me in a Nursing Home against my will, I sure as hell would be aggressive and agitated as for wandering; I'd run away as fast as my feet could carry me."
In my wife's final five years there were times she had to be rushed to hospital and on each occasion I insisted on taking her home as soon as she was treated, often against doctor's advice. I'd be scared to stay in hospital if I could still walk; I'd be inclined to escape! How much more so a scared an AD patient would feel in that situation?
Hi Lyn,
I'm pleased to learn that Cait is there for you. Our daughter Colleen is and has been my rock through these trying years. I wish you well and may your God go with you.
Padraig

Snowy,
From what I understand, you have a medical background and the best thing I believe is that you retain control of your life as best as you can. You are doing a wonderful job in helping others on this site.

Saturday morning I received a copy in the post of the the meeting of the Officers of the Royal College of Psychiatrists of Old Age with Members of the Alzheimer's Society, held on 2nd June. It concerned the report on the use of anti-psychotics in dementia. It recommended that their use should be reviewed regularly and they should be gradually reduced and stopped whenever the patients' condition allows it.

Your first hand knowledge of this mind stealing illness can prove of great benefit to many people.
I notice that my Book is now available through the Net by keying in Dare to Dream - Padraig ID 66393. I'm not taking any money from it. If any aspect of our story helps that will be payment in itself.
May your God go with you.
Padraig

Snowy,
You have so much to offer as you are uniquely placed both from a medical and sufferer's point of view. There are times I feel so helpless and sad when I read of the total lack of understanding the fears and frustrations of loved ones suffering with AD. I spent a good deal of time fighting the system on behalf of my wife and in the end gave up and decided to manage on my own. People appear to accept the written word as it relates to the different 'stages'. Had I accepted what doctors and others told me my wife would have died at least four and a half years earlier than she did. No only that, she would have had an unnecessary painful death.
I still feel very strongly about the way sufferers are being treated and miss understood, that is why I wrote our story, in the hope that some care givers receive a different perspective of how their loved ones feel. Emotions are the last of the senses we lose on death. How I wish people could better understand that fact.
Keep up the good fight you have a lot to offer to help care givers better understand the patient's perspective.
May your God go with you.
Padarig

Oh my friend how good it is to hv contact ..i hope to get you on msn so we can chat..thanks for the valuable info..luvs lyn...we shared alot of your care giving techniques..i will be reading your story..i hv missed our talks my friend...luvs and blessings...lyn

Snowy, it doesn't....I believe this is a spammer trying to sneak their wares in with their signatures. I alerted the administrator.

Hoping you do read this my friend
i have missed you very much
lyn