Can anyone please tell we what to expect at the end of CHF - i am caring for a 75 year old lady, who i might add is lovely and knows she is dying.
She has been rated as end stage for 18 months now, but has gone down hill over the last 6 months. She is always sleeping, vomiting, and had severe SOB - she has oxgen in her house that she uses constantly. She is in so much pain (her feet and legs) uses morphone liquid and S/R tablets amongs other numerous medications. Her kidneys work off and on, has been hospitalised numerous times.
She says she knows the end is near and her doctor said that it would be a blessing if she passes in her sleeep because if she does not she will have a terrible death - can anyone elaborate on this, i just do not know what to expect.
I have a 76 year old woman. End stage CHF. Eating has decreased over the past three weeks to less than 300 calories per day. She is on 120 ml laysix per day, stopped all hear meds last week. Pressure 110/70. Sleeps 20 plus hours per day. Question? she has not had a BM in 15 days. She is comfortable, no signs of constipation, taking stool softeners daily. How can she go so long without a bowel movement. Private emailwelcome at [email protected]
no signs of constipation .... what signs are you looking at
Just wondering if anyone can answer a question for me....
A 75 year old lady who has had end stage CHF for 2 years is now in a nursing home. She has a morphine pump (4 days) and is having 50ml per 24 hour plus 5ml injections if and when required. All other medication has been stopped.
Her breathing is eratic and she jerks and twitches a lot. She is not drinking and eating (has not for 4/5 days). Sometimes you can see her chest wobble when she does not take a breath - the nurses have said she has only days left, is there anything more we can do to keep her comfortable.
Specializes in Breast Cancer, Arterial, General Surgery.
... is there anything more we can do to keep her comfortable.
Thanks in advance
Monica
As nurses we always have something to do to help patients.
It is the hardest thing in the world just to accept that this is the end and that all we can do is let nature take its course.
With all the nursing care (keeping her clean, dry and comfortable with mouthcare and suction as necessary) I think the only other thing to do is talk to her and hold her hand.
treat her as you would want someone to treat your mom.....talk to her, touch her, smooth her hair....the person things along with the suggestions in the other posts.
With all the nursing care (keeping her clean, dry and comfortable with mouthcare and suction as necessary) I think the only other thing to do is talk to her and hold her hand.
actually, i would not suction.
there are meds specifically used to dry secretions (scopolamine, levsin, atropine).
they are highly effective and much less invasive than suction.
This lady is my mum and has been suffering for so long.
I sat with her yesterday evening holding her hand and talking to her, although she does not know i am there.
Mum is being kept clean and comfortable - its horrible we are just waiting for the dreaded phone call.
We all sit and spend time with her just holding her - we are amazed at her strength, she has defied all the doctors time in time out.
It is day 5 with no food or water now, she has wasted away to nothing. We just hate the thought of her being like this and wish her suffering was over.
I hope hospice care was called because I agree with other posts, ativan or even midazolam would help here. To not feed or hydrate her is a good intervention at this point, as it would likely exacerbate her breathing problems.
She's lucky to have you by her side, presence is often the most conforting thing to give. My blessings to you and your family.
Hospice has not been called - mum is in a nursing home that caters for palliative care - mum is only having the morphine pump and they are giving her an anti nausea drug. They stopped all oral medication 5 days ago because nothing has been digested for days prior to that. What was going in one end was coming straight out the other end (whole tablets).
I am a little confussed as to how long she can stay alive for - no fluids or food, she is just skin over bone and does not open her eyes anymore.
She is being turned every 2 hours (she has open sores on her bottom).
Does anyone know how long a person can stay alive with no food or water - her breathing is very shallow, and she jerks (spasms) one of the nurses said that could be from all the morphine.
Allow Mystery
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no signs of constipation .... what signs are you looking at
have you done a rectal exam?