This week at the hospital…

I had an older patient with severe dementia who had recently fallen. Unfortunately, as is usually the case, the fall was complicated by a whole slew of things.  She ended up with several fractures, one of which she had surgically corrected.  The post-surgical period was tough on her, she was sent to a short-term rehab facility where she did not do well.  She stopped eating, was barely moving, minimally engaged with others and then to top it all off, she was constipated.  As often happens with individuals affected by dementia, injury or illness can negatively impact their cognition.  Her cognitive decline worsened - her dementia dial turned way up.  Any semblance of herself had almost entirely disappeared.  I took over her care during her second hospitalization in 2 months.  During this visit, she was brought back to the hospital from the short-term rehab because she was having difficulty breathing.  She was diagnosed with not one but four different illnesses: pneumonia, bacteremia (blood infection), a urinary tract infection, and a kidney stone.  These illnesses combined would be difficult for a spry 30-year-old to endure, let alone a 90+ year-old with a multitude of health challenges.  The recovery was going to be near impossible.  

How do you, as a medical provider, deliver that information in a way that is both understandable and absorbable to family members? The body has its limits, a difficult thing to accept for most people.   As a healthcare provider, you have seen the outcome of situations like this many times.  Many families have not.  What a balance it is to maintain compassion with gentle, yet firm and unequivocal guidance for individuals who are trying to hold on to their loved one with both hands.  But…you see, this is where the true magic of providing care happens.  It is challenging and exhausting but it is also a very special skill.  

Keep up your compassion and commitment you rockstar healthcare providers – I see you.