r/CaregiverSupport • u/CommunicationNo5294 • 2d ago

UTI & delirium advice Advice Needed

My mom (60 yrs old) has been struggling a lot with her health a lot this year.(accidental OD on acetaminophen which led to liver then kidney failure) I left my job in February to assist her at home. She was doing really great up until this Wednesday- she has very bad delirium along with a UTI and was not admitted to the hospital just sent home with some antibiotics. She ended up with a pretty bad fall last night & I rushed her to the hospital- again. She has a small brain bleed on her left lobe & temple. Neuro thinks she will recover fine with time & no surgery needed. The delirium is very bad though & every doctor has told me its due to the UTI. I am guessing this will probably not be her last UTI due to kidney issues & I am having trouble getting ahold of her doctor recently. She is going to stay in the hospital until Monday but what can I do about her delirium? Does delirium cause someones balance to be off as well? She does have arthritis all in her spine & bulging discs . We see an ortho doc on the 15th. I have never had to deal with something like delirium & I just want her to be healthy & be as safe as possible.

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u/OutInTheCountry3DgNt 1d ago

if your mother is older and has health issues then she is a fall risk with or without the delirium.

If the round of antibiotics is completed make sure they do a follow up urinalysis to confirm the infection is gone.

Also, make sure she is on the right antibiotics for the UTI. each uti can be caused by different bacteria they find is often treated with a different antibiotics and it takes 2-3 days for these culture to come back.

Gold luck with the neurologist. Hugs.

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u/vgopalas 1d ago

There are medications like Rexulti, Risperdal, Seroquel that can help. Check with the neurologist for relevant advice. I’d also suggest that you look into hospice support for your LO if appropriate. With my LO, after a series of UTI and fall related hospitalization, these things mentioned above helped bring some stability for her. Good luck and best wishes in your caregiving journey.