Help with aging parent

[Go-NoGo]

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Originally Posted by garyt One other thing I forgot to add in the OP was that while he had what I'd call normal tiredness for a 90+ year old he got sick about 2 weeks ago. Had a bad cough, tired. Dr. gave him a couple Z packs, antibiotic, and a steroid shot to no real avail. The cough is gone but the fatigue has lasted. He gave him a chest xray and no pneumonia. He was pretty much at a loss for what to try next. That's why I tend to think this is more than just wearing out.

Re: Steroid shot - was that prednisone by any chance ?
abruptly stopping or tapering off too quickly can result in fatigue, muscle weakness, and other symptoms.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/prednison...s/faq-20057923

Sounds like your father has many years left in him - wishing him the best!

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyt One other thing I forgot to add in the OP was that while he had what I'd call normal tiredness for a 90+ year old he got sick about 2 weeks ago. Had a bad cough, tired. Dr. gave him a couple Z packs, antibiotic, and a steroid shot to no real avail. The cough is gone but the fatigue has lasted. He gave him a chest xray and no pneumonia. He was pretty much at a loss for what to try next. That's why I tend to think this is more than just wearing out.

Get another doctor, he got a couple Z packs and antibiotics and steroids and nothing helped ?Did he have an actual cold or "just" a cough. My FIL's incompetent Dr diagnosed the beginning of his congestive heart failure as a cold/walking pneumonia.

Still had the "cough" six months later when he died from a "sudden" heart attack.. According that same Dr, it was sudden.

[GrayHare]

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Originally Posted by euro That said, 90% of the population is EBV positive - plus: besides super high doses of Valtrex, there is no treatment

Yes, EBV is common, though the immune system usually keeps the infection at a low level. A blood test can measure if instead EBV is more active than normal. If something else is causing EBV to become active that other thing might be treatable.

[braumeister]

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Originally Posted by jimandthom for $70 buy a 10K lux full spectrum light-

DW and I have both used one of these in the winter for years. We believe it is helpful.

Recently got this one which is great.

[jimandthom]

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Originally Posted by braumeister DW and I have both used one of these in the winter for years. We believe it is helpful. Recently got this one which is great.

Yep--- that's what we got.

OP-- the cough can also be from not enough activity to expel the mucus. It is sort of a dual issue tho. Can't get the energy to get going, because the breathing is tight from the mucus making it difficult to take in enough air yet the walking etc is what helps expel the mucus. Round and round it goes.

Also anemia can cause shortness of breath and is quite often an issue with the elderly or not so elderly. Standard bloodwork can show good levels of B,D, iron but it is not readily available to help form healthy blood cells to carry the O2. That's when injections of whatever item(s) work better-- more bio-availability.

[garyt]

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Originally Posted by ivinsfan Get another doctor, he got a couple Z packs and antibiotics and steroids and nothing helped ?Did he have an actual cold or "just" a cough. My FIL's incompetent Dr diagnosed the beginning of his congestive heart failure as a cold/walking pneumonia. Still had the "cough" six months later when he died from a "sudden" heart attack.. According that same Dr, it was sudden.

Well the cough eventually went away but it was awhile after the Zpacks and shot, so I tend to think these didn't help. Most times I've seen people get these they seem to improve quickly. Makes me think other things are at play here.

[garyt]

I've been writing down all these suggestions and will present them to the geriatric Dr. Really appreciate it.

[Amethyst]

I like reading about people who care so much for their parents. Your Dad may be wearing out, true, but there are lots of things to try to keep the old engine and chassis on the road.

[isisdave]

Do you have some 5-year-old blood work reports to compare? Look at the numbers for oxygen transport -- red blood cells, hematocrit, etc. Anything worse than before?

[imnontrad]

I think living alone and not having enough mental stimulation may be part of the problem. Is there a Senior Center in the town that has activities? That may help. My mother started having a problem when all of her friends died and her world got a lot smaller. Meeting new people at the center may help to meet new people.
An evaluation by a gerontologist may also identify a problem.
And sad to say, sleeping more and not caring about the usual things could be the start of a decline that cannot be stopped. But a gerontologist can help you determine this.

[TrophyWife]

Seniors need more protein because they don't process protein well but most seniors and assisted living situations are heavy on the carbs for cost savings. I would make sure he's getting enough meat. https://khn.org/news/why-older-adult...rotein-shakes/

I would also look into Intermittent Fasting for him. Eating in an 8 hour window-fasting for 16 hours

[NW-Bound]

My late FIL went downhill fast from his late 80s to his 90s. Just a few years earlier, people complimented him on how well he was, and said they wished to be like him at that age. In just a few years, he got weak, and started to fall and break his bones. That led to a steady decline, and in the end his muscles and joints deteriorated to the point he could not lift either hand up to his face to scratch his nose. Of course, he had to leave home and entered a nursing home long before that point.

Doctors could not do anything for him. Blood tests showed his internal organs were functioning, and he was just basically waiting to die. He eventually died of a pneumonia that came from a cold. He was ready to go long before that.


PS. Most people do not last long in my FIL's state. In fact, he outlived many of his roommates at the nursing home, who were all much younger. It was because my wife and her siblings took turn to come in to spoonfeed him every evening. People in there rarely got visitation from spouses or children.

PPS. Both my late father and father-in-law stayed coherent to the end and did not suffer from dementia. I think being trapped inside a disabled body with a clear mind made it harder for the patients, but easier for the care takers.

[garyt]

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Originally Posted by isisdave Do you have some 5-year-old blood work reports to compare? Look at the numbers for oxygen transport -- red blood cells, hematocrit, etc. Anything worse than before?

His Dr. would have these but I have no idea if he's compared them. I doubt it though. No one's too happy with his Dr. He doesn't seem too interested in looking into things. His diagnosis, he's old.
Hopefully the gerontologist will try a little harder. If it is just the beginning of the end we can deal with that. He's had 95 good, healthy years and he's not in any pain, so how can you argue?

[garyt]

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Originally Posted by imnontrad I think living alone and not having enough mental stimulation may be part of the problem.

It could be, but when he gets a chance to go out he doesn't have the energy. He used to go out 6 nights a week. Throw in holidays and family functions and he was pretty much never home for a full day. He says he wants to go, but just doesn't have the "pep" (his word) to do it.
He did go to bingo with my sister last week and was happy and surprised at the fuss they made when he showed up for the first time in weeks. But now he's too tired to go again.

[garyt]

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Originally Posted by TrophyWife Seniors need more protein because they don't process protein well but most seniors and assisted living situations are heavy on the carbs for cost savings. I would make sure he's getting enough meat. https://khn.org/news/why-older-adult...rotein-shakes/ I would also look into Intermittent Fasting for him. Eating in an 8 hour window-fasting for 16 hours

Good point. Since he sleeps so much he's not eating much, one meal. He is a meat and potatoes guy so when he does eat it's usually pretty protein rich.

[garyt]

Pretty good guns for a 94 year old

[Amethyst]

Holy cr@p, arm could pass for 60. Was he working out before the excessive fatigue hit?

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Originally Posted by garyt Pretty good guns for a 94 year old

[garyt]

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Originally Posted by Amethyst Holy cr@p, arm could pass for 60. Was he working out before the excessive fatigue hit?

Not anymore. He was in construction most of his life. Lots of heavy lifting even after he became a foreman in his later years. Just genetic luck that he hasn't lost a lot of muscle mass over the years I guess.
We did take him to the ER a couple years ago with chest pains. Found out it was a pulled muscle from doing pushups, lol.

[ivinsfan]

What about a sleep study, perhaps he needs a CPAP machine...

[CrazyHamsterLady]

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Originally Posted by garyt My Dad is 95. He's been in pretty good shape all this time. Lately he's been extremely fatigued. Now, I don't know what 95 feels like and I'm sure most 90+ year olds sleep a lot but he can sleep 14 hours, get up and still be exhausted. He's lost his will to get up and do things. He used to go out 6 days a week and now maybe gets out twice and falls asleep on the car ride home. His blood work comes back fine, his Dr. says he is by the numbers the healthiest patient in his practice, Blood pressure is 120/70, cholesterol well below 200, sugar is good,etc. Took him to see a vascular guy as he's been complaining of heavy legs. Ultra sound shows good circulation in the arms and legs. He has a bad knee so doesn't walk much anymore so Dr. says it could be a use it or lose it thing. I have no idea where to go next. What should we try? I have to ask about his testosterone level but I assume they test for this when they did the blood tests.He is also a good size guy who still carries some good muscle so I doubt that's it. I've even considered depression as he lives alone and maybe that's getting to him? But I would think he'd jump at the chance to get out and yet doesn't seem to have the energy most times.Now that I'm retired I stop over 3 times a day to visit but he's usually sleeping. Anyway just venting and looking for any ideas. Where would you turn next? A gerontologist?

Cardiologist? My dad is 95, on dialysis for 5-some-odd years, and has other issues. His cardio is hooking him up to portable 3-day EKG monitor. Cardio says with age, electrical signal weakens, sometime too weak to tell heart "beat!" No danger, cardio said, but could (partially) account for fatigue. Pacemaker could remedy. Your mileage may vary, of course. Thought I'd share since sounds similar.