Caregiving: Making decisions for dementia patients
Swapna Writes
As I mentioned earlier, one of the most frightening parts of caregiving for me is taking decisions on behalf of the patient.In most aging, the elder takes his or her own decisions, but in the case of dementia patients, decision-making is the caregiver’s responsibility.
Is the patient in pain or not, and should I call the doctor? What, exactly, is paining, and how much? Did the patient’s pain reduce with the medication? If the doctor offers a choice, should antibiotics be given or not, if the patient may not benefit from them? How aggressive and invasive should treatment be? Should the patient be hospitalized?
My current phase of caregiving may require tough decisions that my mother can no longer participate in, as she just does not understand anything.
via Decision making for dementia patients « Swapna writes….
Posted on January 27, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Caregiving, Dementia | Tags: Caregiving, family caregiving, hospitals
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