So my mom has been moved to a long term care facility, (nursing home).Shes 95.
so she has later stage dementia, and wet macular degeneration and glaucoma. For years she went to a specialist who would inject her one eye. Last 3 years the injection doesn’t do good and doesn’t do bad.
Here is my dilemma. Because of. Her dementia she thinks her vision improves or deteriorates in a weekly basis because her mind is going.
Should I just leave her be. Taking her stresses her out for two to three days after the appt. She has eye pain after and gets even more depressed. Please help me
I would just let your mom be. It’s hard watching them grow old and have these issues.
Wishing you peace as you continue to be her advocate.
I would want to understand the doctors view of what she needs and the repercussions of your choices.
The information you shared gives no upside unless it is that her vision has not declined in the three years. Isn’t that a good thing?
In other words if her distress is a week once or twice a year, it might be worth continuing if it is maintaining her current level of vision.
I know it is draining to do these maintenance type appointments. I know I have to force myself to do what little I do at this stage and have been thinking of hiring someone to do them for me. My caregiver fatigue overcomes my responsibilities.
Our elders can live a long time past what we anticipate and being blind won’t make her die but would decrease her quality of life. I know my 97 yr old enjoys seeing beautiful things like flowers and trees and smiling faces. But I am not in your shoes and no judgment here. Just trying to give an opinion.
Please make sure her depression is being treated. Hugs to you both.
gpumg too and they are happier as they feel
they want quit y life over quantity
everything is just so hard
As long as your mom's Opthamologist isn't telling you she'll go blind w/o these shots, I'd cancel them and tell her the condition is improving. Then let her live out what's left of her days in peace. To me, that's "doing the right thing" for your mom.
There IS risk to them, just so you know, of detached retina and etc. Wet AMD is a serious issue, but often it is doesn't cause blindness. Legal blindness, yes, but often not complete.
I would discuss with MD. At some point I would go palliative care. Not a lot of medications anymore, but just comfort care.
That's me.
I would get ALL THE FACTS online and from the treating docs before making this decision. Wet AMD causes central vision blindness, but the peripheral vision usually remains. Discuss with MD. As to her reported changes, I am with her. At 81 some days I can read out of an eye with serious scaring due to vitreous separation; some days I cannot. The eye doc says this is due to the eye being not nearly as good as the other eye, and the two eyes attempts constantly to adjust to what they see due to differences. Some days it is the BRAIN that isn't adjusting things as well. Go figure.
The risk of his falling when traveling to and from the doctor was just not worth the useless doctor visits. So we stopped going.
He's visually impaired but he is not blind. He's now in a SNF.