“How should I help my mother in hospice?”
My 91 year old mother has been in a convalescent hospital on hospice care for five days. She is on antibiotics for sepsis and she’s being given morphine for terrible pain in her neck from the sepsis infection. She has large open sores on her feet from a condition called Bullous Pemphigoid. Her feet became infected two weeks ago and the infection went into her bones. She is not able to speak clearly so we can’t ask her how to proceed with treatment. Should we ask that the antibiotics be stopped since the doctors say she will not recover unless her feet are amputated? They won’t operate because she wouldn’t survive the surgery. We just don’t want the infection to cause her more pain but are we prolonging her pain? She’s no longer eating. She takes sips of water.
Female | 91 years old
Complaint duration: 2
Medications: Antibiotics and morphine
Conditions: Sepsis in blood and bones, bullous pemphigoid, MRSA
2 Answers
91 yo lady with sepsis on antibiotics and severe pain being treated with antibiotics and morphine, her prognosis as such is very poor. Her death is imminent without surgery. Her baseline history, advance directives, and her quality of life prior to this condition is unknown. There are 2 options: 1. Let her undergo surgery and accept the outcome, she may or may not survive the surgery. 2.Continue to control her pain so she is comfortable enough for the rest of her life.
Prem Singla
Prem Singla
Yes I think stopping the antibiotics and offering medication for both pain and anxiety would be best so that she is most comfortable. May peace be with you
Dr W
Dr W
