My great grandmother is in the hospital right now after my grandmother couldn't get her to respond to her. They first said she has panomia. And then it was asphiciated panomia. She also apparently has a bleed on her brain and high blood pressure. the doctors and nurses have taken her off food for two days now and as far as I kno have only given her blood pressure medication once when her primary doc came in and insisted that they did. Before the one dose of meds her bp was 215/150. Idk what it was after she got it. But now its 182/106. I want to kno what the best course of action should be and weather the hospital she's at is actually taking that course of action and not just letting her die because she's 92. Their actions just don't make sense to me but I'm also not medically intelligent. Sobif someone can give me some feedback I would really appreciate it
My mom (who is 95) is very certain she doesn't want any extraordinary measures taken to prolong her life. So you need to be talking to your mom and grandma to see what great grandma's wishes would be. The hospital may be following her wishes. Hugs to you, I know it's hard to watch someone you love go through this. Losing my grandma was one of the toughest losses of my life.
That she also has a brain bleed and high blood pressure is serious. Nurses cannot give any medications without a doctor's orders, which may explain why it took the visit from a PCP to get that BP medication restarted.
Do you know if the brain bleed was caused by an injury such as a fall, or a stroke?
I don't have medical training, either. I'd ask the nurse or the doctor for an explanation of the treatment plan, if I were close enough to the patient to be entitled to that information.
I don't think that hospitals typically just let someone die because they are 92. But that age is a consideration in what treatments are available. For example, if she were younger a feeding tube MIGHT be a way to avoid the aspiration of food, but it is often not beneficial for older patients. In any case, she will be OK without food for several days, under medical supervision. It is the long run treatment where decisions have to be made.
This is very difficult to see in someone you love so much. What do your mother and her mother say about great-gradma's treatment?
The people who can tell you what courses of action are available, and which is the best under the circumstances, are the doctors caring for your great grandmother. They can also tell you how they're handling the course of treatment they've chosen.
You can tell one your great gram's nurses that you'd like to speak to the physician in charge of her treatment, and ask that he/she call you if you can't determine when she/he makes rounds.
I've also gotten information from the charge nurse.
But you may have trouble if your great grandmother hasn't authorized anyone to have HIPAA privileges.
Hospital's actions don't always make sense. I just went through an experience with my father in which decisions were made which I questioned, and it was only after discussing them with my niece who's a nurse as well as doing a lot of research that I was able to understand the justification for the actions, even if I didn't agree with them.
My Mom has a brain bleed from a major fall where she had hit her head, and that has created her to go into sudden dementia, so sad seeing her this way. My Mom is 97 and I know there is nothing much the doctors can do for her now except to make her comfortable.