LTC resident. Peg tube feed. Totally NPO. Has been for years.
Is now going through some rough times with hip. Not broken, but has had a replacement put in a few years back, started having pain a couple of months ago, we find out the hip trochanter is necrotic. Dr can't do anything. Something else came up, and dr went back in. This time, for reasons I don't understand, res wasn't "sewn up" this time. Open wound, for us to pack qod. Ok, well res continues to get worse. Now has a picc line which is supposed to receive gentamycin. Since res is having trouble recouping from all this, family has decided (with dr's ok) to dc all meds (except morphine) and all nutrition (Jevity bolus 6xd).
Day shift nurse calls dr to tell him that we all feel very uncomfortable doing this and would he please reconsider. DON calls res son (POA) and talks to him. Now the order stands that the Jevity and morphiine will continue, but all other meds are DC'd. Res had a fever of 103.5 yesterday AM. Last night, it was down to 100.5
Now, my question being. If the res is alert, can he/she not answer for themselves? Can't she decide for herself if she wants to die? What about "comfort measures"? Isn't Tylenol for a fever a "comfort measure"? Hospice is not involved, but I sure wish they were. Wonder if they are just waiting for sepsis to set in?
Is there anything I, as a LPN, can do to help her? Or is it all left up to the POA?
This situation is absolutely rediculous to me. *sigh* I feel so helpless.
