How in the world does this happen....

[DizBelle]

DH went to visit his mother who takes care of her mother (who turned 97 today).

MIL takes care of Granny so she knows her like a mother knows a baby and she notices something different. She takes Granny to the doctor and they do a blood test which shows an elevated white blood cell count indicating an infection. They suspect a UTI so they take a urine sample to test.

No meds have been given at this point.

A few days later, MIL calls to find out the status and is told that they lost he sample. So, they pack Granny up again and take her in to give another sample.

Still no meds.

More days go by and MIL calls to find out the status. She is told that the machine broke and destroyed Granny's sample. They pack Granny up again and take her in to give another sample. This the third sample.

Still no meds.

Many more days go by and MIL calls again and she is told that their machine is broken (which MIL already knew) and they sent the sample out and it will be 5-10 days before they get results.

Still no meds.

MIL tells them that something needs to happen sooner so they pack up Granny to take her in again to gove a 4th sample so it can be sent to a closer/faster lab.

Still no meds.

At this point, we're FIVE WEEKS into an infection in a 97 year old woman without any meds given for anything. MIL calls while DH is visiting and DH is listening in on the call and jumps in about how this is unacceptable. They say "well, if she is that bad off, you need to take her to the ER". HELLO!!!! They're trying to treat an infection early so that it doesn't become and an emergency and warrant a trip to the ER. At that point, the nurse hung up on them.

How in the world did our health care come to this.

FTR - MIL and Granny have had this doctor for 20 years. A few years ago, the practice was bought by some group or conglomerate or something and the care started tanking after that.

 

[Magpie]

Personally, I'd put the blame for this debacle on the doctor, not the system. This often happens with elders and disabled people who cannot advocate for themselves - they get ignored, shuffled aside, and relegated to lowest priority. Your MIL has been entirely too patient! (My own MIL has end stage cancer, and in a care home because she's lost all mobility, so we're getting well acquainted with the whole advocacy routine.)

I think your MIL should take your grandmother to the ER, get her the antibiotics she needs ASAP, and then find out if there is a professional organization with which you can lodge a complaint about the neglect and incompetence your grandmother has suffered. Also lodge a complaint about the nurse's unprofessional and rude attitude. And then find a new doctor. Because regardless of whether or not this doctor's practice was bought by some group or conglomerate, the doctor ought to be taking a personal interest in the patient. And it doesn't sound like your granny's doctor is, if they're allowing this to go on.

Good luck to your grandmother, I hope she feels better soon! UTIs are awful.

 

[Kiren]

I am so sorry to hear that is happening to your family. I honestly thought people exaggerated the medical systems problems in the US. (I'm a canuck) But unfortunately that could happen here in Canada too. Our health care system is not without it's flaws. Most people in Canada do not have family doctors because we don't have enough of them to go around. So our ER wait times are ridiculous. (6 hours for a little boy to get his hand x-rayed because he crushed it in a door.)

 

[Mizzoufan]

I'd take her to the ER or Urgent care. Get her some meds quick. At her age I wouldn't chance it.

 

[focusondisney]

A UTI for 5 weeks?? Ger her to an urgent care center, skip the ER. I've gone to them before for things like sinus infections & UTIs. They can do rapid tests right there & send scripts right in. Unfortunately, your mom is going to have to get much more proactive with Grandma's care. I'd start with finding a new doctor.

 

[Magpie]

I am so sorry to hear that is happening to your family. I honestly thought people exaggerated the medical systems problems in the US. (I'm a canuck) But unfortunately that could happen here in Canada too. Our health care system is not without it's flaws. Most people in Canada do not have family doctors because we don't have enough of them to go around. So our ER wait times are ridiculous. (6 hours for a little boy to get his hand x-rayed because he crushed it in a door.)

ER wait times are great if you're coming in with a critical issue that needs immediate attention. Bring a kid in who can't breathe, and you'll get seen immediately. Bring a husband in with a gallbladder attack... and he'll have recovered from it before they get around to getting him painkillers (yeah, that was six hours).

When my son cut the top of his thumb off, we had it sewn back on and were standing outside waiting to be picked up, prescription in hand, in less than half an hour after arriving at the hospital. My only out of pocket expense was the cab ride to the hospital. And a prescription painkiller (but that was around 12 dollars).

I'd like to see our health care system improved, but I do appreciate the low costs for drugs, and the fact that a visit to the emergency room costs nothing out of pocket. Also, where I live, we have an extensive network of clinics, and you can check the wait times online. And if you live in Ontario, you can always call TeleHealth to talk to a nurse.

I actually rarely see my "family" doctor, except for physicals, since there's always a more readily available option.

Canadian health care for me is one of those simultaneously "It's great!" and "It can be even better!" situations. I do wish they'd cover dental and vision, though.

 

[JennyWren]

Just out of curiosity....do you happen to know if it is UPMC? They have been taking over most of the hospitals and doctors here and the care has become terrible...you can't even get your calls returned.

 

[DennyCrane]

Lawsuit.

 

[Vijoge]

I work in healthcare and can't even imagine having this much trouble getting a urine culture done. But I must ask, why are you running this poor woman back and forth to the doctor? Get some sterile cups from the office or lab and collect the urine at home, then take it to the lab. I mean, I certainly understand the first visit, but after that? Nah. I do agree with the poster that said it's time to go to urgent care. A five week untreated UTI in someone that age can easily result in sepsis, which is extremely dangerous. And yes, do find another doctor. Please come back and let us know how this lady fares. Hoping for the best for all of you.

 

[Magpie]

I work in healthcare and can't even imagine having this much trouble getting a urine culture done. But I must ask, why are you running this poor woman back and forth to the doctor? Get some sterile cups from the office or lab and collect the urine at home, then take it to the lab. I mean, I certainly understand the first visit, but after that? Nah. I do agree with the poster that said it's time to go to urgent care. A five week untreated UTI in someone that age can easily result in sepsis, which is extremely dangerous. And yes, do find another doctor. Please come back and let us know how this lady fares. Hoping for the best for all of you.

Very good point!

 

[mjkacmom]

Very good point!

That was my first thought as well. I'd have her stay home, and bring the sample in. The next time, we'd go to an urgent care center (we have several).

 

[hereyago]

Omg! Do they realize that you can kill an elder?

I would be looking for a new doctor and I would be letting the original doctor know why.

I had to advocate for my mom several times even at the hospital, yes sometimes I was "that relative".


Is the grandmother in good enough health mobility wise to keep going out to dr? If not, look into doctor s that make house calls, if she needs lab work, they come to the house.

 

[ols386]

Aww poor Granny. That's awful of doctor to let it go on this long. I'd take her to ER at this point in time, especially at her age.

 

[ronandannette]

I'm no medical expert but would a UTI, left untreated for 5 weeks not have incapacitated a frail senior by now? We had a similar situation with my own recently departed DMom, who at age 99 was suspected of having a UTI about a month before her death. The caregivers at the facility she was in apparently tried and failed 3 times to retrieve a usable sample (the lab kept saying it was contaminated - this determination took several days each time). She never did receive active treatment, just comfort measures and at the end of it all, nobody is really sure whether or not it was a UTI that killed her.

 

[LovesTimone]

UTI in the elderly is a huge problem...As it goes undetected until a lot of the time until it start effecting their behavior, talking non-sense or seeing things a lot of the time. Sometimes people chalk it up to old age.

I am sitting here crying my eyes out... It makes me so mad that they would put a elderly person through all that...

My grandmother is 97 and in a nursing home as of January of this year, She had a serious fall, the first thing they checked in the ER was did she have a UTI and she did, also they thought she might have had a mini stroke, combined with the UTI was not a good recipe. My Uncle had seen her early in the morning and my parents after lunch, mom said told her that she was tired and wanted to nap. So my Mom and Dad did stuff around the house for her, washing clothes, cleaning, cooking ect... while she slept.. When she woke up she seemed okay mom had warmed up some homemade soup that someone made for her she ate and said she felt better. They left around 7:00pm ish the next morning my uncle called her at 7:00 am she did not answer the phone, he went over there and found her on the floor, she had no idea where she was and was talking about my Grand-dad who passed more than 15 years ago, asking where he was and getting his lunch for work...

A few months ago I went to see her at the nursing home... I had a hissy fit... and when I saw her I knew she wasn't right... She told me that the baby was crying and see could not find her and I knew what was wrong... I got some lip service from the nurse that she was elderly and I needed to face it.... OMG...I was in the DON ( Director of Nursing) office so fast...then on to the Administrator office. Calling my Uncle who is POA and my Mom 2nd POA... Yep I stirred the pot a little bit, I was nice but firm a about it... At first I got some more lip service until I said I was a activity director in long term care for 11 years...In 30 minutes they collected a sample, called the Doctor who went ahead and put her on antibiotic to be proactive, as my grandmother has a history of UTI problems and its well documented and yes it was a UTI in 2 days she was better, back to herself.. Now she has been now diagnosed as having chronic UTI and a standing order for antibiotic and testing as needed.

I understand that she gets confused and forgetful, and that her body is starting to break down, I know she is tired and weary... she starting to slip away slowly... but I am going to make sure she gets the best care for as long as she is with us... and we are following her wishes... She is a huge factor in my life, a lot of things about life she taught me... Still crying...

Take her to the ER right away... a UTI can and will cause a lot of other problems for her.. Change doctors..

 

[Southernmiss]

5 weeks. I would have been jumping up and down after 5 days.

My grandmother lives at home with 24 hour care. She's overall healthy, but things are wearing out. Her primary Dr. now comes to her house. She has also requested hospice because of her advanced age so that Gran can get better home nurses, etc. to visit.

I think I'd be checking on other options.

 

[scrapquitler]

DH went to visit his mother who takes care of her mother (who turned 97 today).

MIL takes care of Granny so she knows her like a mother knows a baby and she notices something different. She takes Granny to the doctor and they do a blood test which shows an elevated white blood cell count indicating an infection. They suspect a UTI so they take a urine sample to test.

No meds have been given at this point.

A few days later, MIL calls to find out the status and is told that they lost he sample. So, they pack Granny up again and take her in to give another sample.

Still no meds.

More days go by and MIL calls to find out the status. She is told that the machine broke and destroyed Granny's sample. They pack Granny up again and take her in to give another sample. This the third sample.

Still no meds.

Many more days go by and MIL calls again and she is told that their machine is broken (which MIL already knew) and they sent the sample out and it will be 5-10 days before they get results.

Still no meds.

MIL tells them that something needs to happen sooner so they pack up Granny to take her in again to gove a 4th sample so it can be sent to a closer/faster lab.

Still no meds.

At this point, we're FIVE WEEKS into an infection in a 97 year old woman without any meds given for anything. MIL calls while DH is visiting and DH is listening in on the call and jumps in about how this is unacceptable. They say "well, if she is that bad off, you need to take her to the ER". HELLO!!!! They're trying to treat an infection early so that it doesn't become and an emergency and warrant a trip to the ER. At that point, the nurse hung up on them.

How in the world did our health care come to this.

FTR - MIL and Granny have had this doctor for 20 years. A few years ago, the practice was bought by some group or conglomerate or something and the care started tanking after that.

Take her to the ER. A UTI in an elderly person can KILL THEM (that's what happened to my grandmother). There's no reason to make her wait so long to get some meds. At the ER, they will run the test on site, now.

The lab is one that has been screwig this up, and I would never ever use that lab again

 

[camreesmom]

I honestly had no idea what effects a UTI could have on an older person until September when my DM70 got sick. She went from being in charge of the volunteers at the hospital, driving herself around town and being pretty self sufficient to this woman who did not even know how to unlock her car. It was scary how quickly it happened, too. Definitely find another doctor.

 

[DizBelle]

Update - Granny is now on Augmentin now. She's had 3 doses and there is a night and day improvement.

Finally!

 

[LovesTimone]

Update - Granny is now on Augmentin now. She's had 3 doses and there is a night and day improvement.

Finally!

Thanks for the update... Prayers and Pixie Dust