Urgent advice please

[horseshoes]

My best friend's Dad has been in a residential home for a while and last week something (?) was wrong and he was admitted to hospital where he remains as yet. My friend has just phoned me now and she is VERY upset - I don't know if the hospital has called her but this morning she said that the hospital had found that his food was not going into his stomach but into his lungs! What would cause this? When she phoned just now, she was practically hysterical she said "I don't know if he's going to get better" - they're having such a hard time at the minute, and now her poor Mum is having breathing difficulties and is in bed at my friends house, oblivious to all this. Anyway, my friends siblings are on their way from Mid Wales and Lincolnshire; I'll go later on. What would have caused this and do you think he'll recover?

[horseshoes]

Thank you sqad. I hope they get there in time then. I'm glad I've been to say goodbye.

[daffy654]

It sounds very much as if they have implemented an 'end of life plan' for this gentleman.

[woofgang]

it doesn't sound unreasonable and, in fact, may be what is best for him, hard as that may sound. x
It sounds like the stroke is recent and its doesn't take much food to be aspirated to cause a chest infection if the person is weak already. The reason that folk with dementia are often dysphagic is that it is vascular dementia which is to say, a lot of little strokes.
I will add your friend's family to my prayers.

[ummmm]

They also move them to side wards if they have lots of visitors, if they can, so they don't disturb the other patients. This has happened to my grandad on two occasions.

[horseshoes]

... should have also said he WAS having that thick liquid feed in the residential home, but now he has a sign Nil by Mouth at his bed. I believe that he did have stroke a few years ago, so it's possible that he's had another perhaps? Ummmm - yes that also sounds reasonable.

[tinkerbell23]

Could be to die..they would surley inform the family though...or a side room nearer the nurses station if he has been needing a closer eye on him or suctioning too xxxx

Best wishes

[cathfromsaron]

after going through the 'usual' end stages with my grandfather, i'm not being heardhearted, but this may be the best outcome!

sending hugs,

cath x

[horseshoes]

Thank you for your thoughts, good wishes & hugs. I shall tell my friend how kind you all are. We're both 58 and we have been friends since we were about 3 or 4 years old. We've been through thick and thin together and I love her dearly. Her pain is my pain. xxx

[horseshoes]

Update on Dennis - he's still with us and this morning he was talking!

[Sqad]

Thanks for the feedback.

[Smowball]

How is Dennis now?

[horseshoes]

Dennis is still talking, not that coherent, but occasionally he's lucid, and they've given him a bit of physio. They were going to try feeding him today. However, now his wife Paula, my friend's Mum has also been admitted. She's having a real problem breathing and apparently her oxygen level is very low. She has had a bad cold and was a smoker until recent years - she's now 80. My friend says she doesn't know whether to laugh or cry - she said "well I suppose it makes visiting easier"! It's kind of you to ask Smow, and I will update when I have any news. x