Every since the surgery she has a fear of the nurse's and doctor's! she is 83 year's old.She think's they are kidnapping her! How can I help calm her fear's? Is it the anesthesia that is making her so scared? Please help me!
Barbara, I’m so sorry to hear that your mother is feeling this way. Of course it must be upsetting to you.THR is major surgery and elderly people are likely more vulnerable to the effects of anesthesia. I am NOT a medical professional so I would suggest speaking to her doctor. I strongly suspect that she is reacting to her anesthesia and also perhaps even to narcotic pain meds if she is taking them? They can wreak havoc with the mind especially as people get older. I’m sure the doctors can reevaluate her meds and with that plus your reassurance, I think she will be fine. Like I said, it’s a major surgery with General anesthesia and our bodies and minds are all out of sorts for a week or so. Best wishes to your mother and you.
As a Psychologist with over 25 years in practice, it sounds like age related mental health issues. The paranoia would have nothing to do with THR
Barbara this is not usual and can sometimes be caused by the shock of the operation. It's quite common with people with hip fractures as well especially over 70s sadly it can last a while but I'm sure that with the right care she will get over it, have you explained this to the nurses and doctors that come to see her they really need to know to be able to evaluate her, I know this is a really silly question and I'm sure this is not the case but is she drinking enough water, even mild dehydration in somebody of her age can cause a form of dementia it's not permanent but can be really frightening not only to you but to her as well. Does she only get afraid of these people when she is at home or is it at the hospital as well, is there anywhere that she's fine with them
Monitor the volume of liquid she takes by keeping her in water in litre bottles so that you know exactly how much she's getting per day even in her tea and coffee or if that's not possible have a tick box so that every time she has a cup it's marked down. As soon as you can get her to see her own doctor that she is used to, thats probably not a guarantee that she won't be afraid as she might not recognise them but at least you know you've seen them and they can lead you in the right direction for her best health.
Take care and let us know how she gets on.
Oh, if recent, could be anesthesia but you should get an evaluation. They will maintain her in a better state of mind
Someone mentioned possible dehydration and I agree that is a real concern in older people. Blood pressure meds too need frequent evaluation in older people because electrolyte inbalance can be serious. A complete evaluation on your mother should be done by her hospital I think. Others are correct it’s not completely normal but I’ve seen unusual reactions in older people when their medicines need changing and reevaluating. Also it doesn’t mean it is permanent either. My best wishes again.
I agree with the comments about dehydration. Also constipation can cause confusion. If your mother is on opioid medications for pain relief they can cause dehydration and constipation which can result in confusion. Also kidney function can be affected by opioids and that can cause a build up in the body that also results in confusion. Check fluid intake, bowel movements, electrolytes and kidney function.
Hope your mother feels better soon
Ann
Praying things work out and maybe finding a way to calm her through singing and massage may help.
After more thought, the opiates can cause weird behavioral patterns in some but unless you get her medical team involved, nothing can be done for her
That is not normal, she sounds as if she has a delirium make sure the doctors know she is not her usual self. It isn’t uncommon for elderly patients to become confused but they do need to check for causes eg infection anaemia medication related etc good luck
Hi Barbara please don't be offended but you came on obviously concerned regarding your mum and numerous people have been kind enough to answer and yet you haven't been back to let us know how she is getting on, would be good to hear from you regarding this, I hope she has improved and recovering nicely now, best wishes Alex