Mom went to hospital for assessment now cannot talk. Has anyone else experienced such a thing?

If not a stroke maybe a brain tumor? But that would show on an MRI, right? Hope someone else chimes in.

When my mother had a raging UTI, these were her symptoms. I found her when I went to pick her up for a hair appointment. She was passed out in her chair and when she came to she was incoherent and babbling. She was hospitalized for almost a week before they got it under control.

Doctors see an old woman and think end of life, if she was fine a few days ago then I wouldn't sign a DNR either, there will be time enough for that decision after you figure out what is going on. (((hugs)))

ambly02, I agree with Ahmijoy above regarding a UTI.... let's hope it is something as easy to treat as an Urinary Tract Infection.

Another thing, about 90% of elders who go into the hospital get delirium. Delirium causes a person to become frighten and confused. When you think about it, it's not peaceful at a hospital... all the new noises, the new smells, the bright lights, the food doesn't taste the same, staff poking and prodding at all times at night. Now, 20% of younger patients experience the same thing if they had major surgery.

Does she have Parkinson’s? My MIL was getting UTI’s and was “zoning out” and taken to ER for non-responsive by EMTs. She didn’t have pain but the parkinsons led to constipation and hygiene issues, then serial UTIs.

*Usually* a urinalysis is done (with routine blood work) upon admission. IF something shows up on the UA, they'll do a culture and sensitivity to find out what bacterium it is and what antibiotic would be the best.

Ask her hospital doctor if he ordered a UA.

I think most people on the site understand what a DNR is - basically "if she dies right now do you want us to try and save her?". Some of this decision is going to depend on how old someone is, what their health was previously and their own stated wishes prior to hospitalization. My mom made her own decision and signed a DNR 10 years ago at age 88, but I would very much resist being pushed to make that kind of choice at a time of crisis for someone unless the choice to let nature take it's course was more clear.

Most hospitals always give them seraquil to sleep. See how she is when she gets home. Went thru this with my mom. They like drugging them up at night

You were told by the doctor to take her to the ER for an assessment of her walking?

She must have been experiencing some extreme symptoms for the doctor to send her to the ER, and for her to be admitted.

What else was going on?

I'd say yes, DNR. Recusitation is EXTREMELY hard on an elderly person. I am of the belief that our widespread dementia problems are because we are keeping people alive beyond their expiration date. I say let her go if God calls. They are treating, but if she expires on the table, they won't make her suffer the world further.

That has happened several times to my MIL. Sometimes its a stroke, and sometimes its a seizure. She can usually just say people's names for a few days, the rest being gibberish. Then after a wk or 2 her speech is fine. She is spending the wkend with us (we take turns) and she just has to use her walker. Your LO may be fine like my MIL. I pray so

Yes, UTI is a possibility. My mom had several of those before she died and the symptoms were pretty alarming. My parents signed a DNR when they were in still okay and in their early 80s. Hospitals usually want a DNR done for the elderly and thank goodness for it. My mom died a peaceful natural death at 92 without all that unnecessary medical intervention.

You need to get a power of attorney asap for your mother. Find a lawyer who can draw up one. They cost 30 to 50 dollars. I will pray for your mom

UTI can definitely do this. Get her checked for it! Also, is she being given Morphine for anything?

Ambly.. how is your Mom doing? Have the tests shown anything further? Are her symptoms leveling out? Is she returning to normal. Please let us know how she is doing. How old is your Mom?

I agree with Chad. It would be good to have a medical power of attorney and full power of attorney just in case something happened. But your Mom will need to be able to sign it in all likelihood. My honey and I both have a medical POA and full POA over each other "just in case". We both also signed a DNR as we did not the other to have to make the decision. (We went through this with my honey's Mom.) I keep them in folders marked legal papers with our names so that if anything happens they are right at hand.

I agree with the comments on the urinary tract infection (UTI) that others have mentioned. UTI symptoms can mimic dementia. Sometimes it is very hard to get a doctor to run those tests for some reason, but I would insist upon it, and by another organization and another doctor than she has had, especially if she has been seeing a geriatric doctor, who seem to be consist about being lackadaisical. I would also consider what was said above about the hospital giving your mother a sedative. As POA, you are entitled to be given a list of everything your mother was given while in the hospital. Demand that list, and take it to another doctor for analysis. Hospitals are some of the biggest bullies in the world. Don’t let them push you around. Also, you might want to take your mother to a DO instead of an MD, as a DO will treat the entire person and not just medicate them to death. Keep us posted. Hang in there.

Yes, something similar happened to my Mom several times. It was a UTI that progressed into delirium for a few days, then she snapped out of it first sleeping for a couple of days. She did not remember any of it. What angered me was the lack of clarity from the nurses at the rehab where it started and from most of the medical personnel we dealt with. I was shocked when it happened and no one was clear about what was going on. Check for a urinary tract infection, or UTI. I had no idea at the time that these could bring on strange behavior and symptoms.

I’ve experienced two similar caregiving/love-shock puzzles. My third paragraph has a graphic description of my experience of intubation that some may not want to read.
First, last month I was advised by EMTs to have my 97-year-old Dad taken to ER for imaging. He had banged his head very hard in a fall. He had been falling increasingly, and we had perhaps over-used the “courtesy lifts” that 911 can provide. From ER he was admitted to the hospital for four more days, then to rehab for 20 days. Rehab PT had him “walking” 75 feet a day. Once he was discharged to home, he seems to have had multiple strokes and now can barely speak (aphasia, dysarthria, apraxia). I imagine it’s possible his severe aortic stenosis (first diagnosed because of the ER imaging) may have caused strokes or plaque disruption? For years, and at ER and at the hospital, Dad happily signed DNRs. But once admitted to Rehab he wanted “all extraordinary measures” to keep himself alive. His dementia had increased markedly in the hospital. At rehab, he was most definitely declared incompetent and I was put in the position of DNRing him. Why did I do that when my heart was breaking, I felt so guilty about overriding his wishes, and I loved my dear father?
Ten years prior, my 100-year-old mother-in-law fell, after numerous falls, and was admitted to ER, where she expressed her DNR wishes and wore a huge DNR bracelet. Though having survived a number of strokes and still able to be rational, she had signed so many DNRs and clearly worded directives, which I made sure hospital staff shifts were always aware of, as well as her family’s legal role in supporting that decision. She was such a bubbly, giving personality that she had endeared herself to nursing staff in just the few days she was there. She had another heart attack during this short hospitalization. An RN went into a panic and intubated her. Roommate witnesses said the tubing was the most horrible thing they ever witnessed. It caused such trauma, the entire ward (including visitors) was shaken. Once deceased, when I viewed her body, it was quite obvious there was a lot of internal tissue trauma caused by the intubation, which also extended her life struggle.
I don’t think ER or hospital staff have the time or emotional capacity to always make exquisite decisions filled with perfection. Many are weary and exhausted. Many have seen too much, and are burnt out too. They fall back on protocol training and knee-jerk reactions in a pinch. I can’t fault what happened during either of my two experiences. I just saw a bunch of people (myself included), who did the best they could do under very stressful circumstances. We are forever saddened and traumatized. But that is why I will sign DNRs on behalf of extremely frail, aged, and irreversibly diseased love ones. And why palliative/hospice care provides highly skilled monitoring and brilliant comfort measures.
I apologize for my graphic description, but I couldn’t sleep if I didn’t share it with another going through this heart-rending experience. I am truly sorry you are in this time with your mother. I hope you find some clarity in these caring responses.

My mom had these similar symptoms appearing like a possible stroke, delusions and it was a UTI. They also did an MRA I think it was called similar to a MRI but shows more.

20Eagle16 you are sooooo CORRECT. We had to stay with my mother 24/7 in hospital when she was under a geriatrician...couldnt trust anyone in the hospital.
They love giving the elderly antiphycotics through the night to "calm them down"...these drugs can definietly cause the symptoms. Also if she has been tested for a uti get them to do it again....sometimes the first test comes back inconclusive which alot of the time they dont test again on the elderly...pls insist on this and insist on knowing what medication they are giving her.

You need to educate yourself on what happens to an Elderly person when they do CPR on them. Most times it breaks their ribs and cracks their sternum for starters. Then those things puncture their lungs. Research it. Not trying to be mean here, just stating the truth.

My Dad was 86 and paramedics tried to rescusitate him with shock etc. To be quite honest I don't think Dad would like to have come round, he was depressed about his health, numerous tests and appointments nearly every day, his life revolved around them and I was told that if he did come round he wouldn't be the same. It depends what age she is and what is going on. My Mum went into hospital for a UTI and was in there for 2 weeks, she went downhill, wasn't talking properly, just lying there, not eating or drinking. Nurses just left fluids out of reach, she spilt hot tea down her dressing gown, dry old sandwich left out of reach, wasn't taken to the toilet just slapped a nappy on her and left her in bed. I was fuming, took us months when she got home and fighting the care company who said she wouldn't get better, she did get better but not quite as strong as before. She wasn't incontinent before but after two weeks of having to wee in her nappy made her rely on her nappy. Is her thyroid result good and that is importantly including her T3!! They refused to give Mum her t3 medication in hospital and I am sure that was the problem. Hope she gets better, don't lose hope, TLC is the best medicine.

The more current document is a POLST
The POLST has several different levels of care that are spelled out in the document so you can elect what course of action to take.
A personal comment tough...CPR does not work all the time. If it does when done properly the patient will have broken ribs possibly a broken sternum. Would your Mom be able to recover from that? Or would she be able to deal with the pain from the injuries sustained in attempting CPR?
I think CPR works great on a younger, healthy person but not sure about an older, frail person with many other health issues.
I know none of these comments help your decision now but it is a good conversation to have with your siblings now. It is a great conversation to have about yourself. It is a great conversation to have with your Mom when this episode comes to an end.
As several have pointed out it is possible that it is a UTI. Unbelievable what crazy symptoms a UTI can cause.

Another side note it is odd that she would be admitted to a hospital for a PT assessment. And also odd that after the assessment she would remain in the hospital another night.

I agree with BarbBrooklyn. Why did she go to the ER for a PT assessment? What else was going on? What other symptoms? Ask for a UA, urinalysis, and a list of medications your mom was given. And I am with you; I would want answers before thinking of a DNR. If it is a UTI, it's easily treatable. But if left untreated, it can become septic quickly. 
Oh, and please let us know how she is!

I haven't read through the answers here so maybe someone has suggested this already but I wanted to asap since I just got this in my email feed (or whatever it's called) and you didn't ask today.

Sounds to me very plausible that she had a fall or hit her head somehow and has a brain injury. If this isn't a stroke I'm not sure why they wouldn't investigate that immediately next but it sure sounds like she's behaving that way. She was in for walking or motor evaluation meaning they had her up and doing various things and there is some problem with it that made her doctor order this in the first place, maybe she hit her head on the steps or some other PT tool they use for assessment and either the elevator didn't see it happen or didn't report it not thinking there was an injury.

I am curious about why she would be admitted to a hospital at all never mind a couple of days for walking evaluation though, are there other medical issues that make this necessary and could be contributing? I don't think that would be possible in CT, is it an acute rehab facility that's in the hospital and did she have a condition or trauma that created the need? I'm just curious but trauma sure sounds like good possibility here and it could be trauma from days or even weeks before. Make sure they are asking and you are providing all info about anything like that even if it seems insignificant and you are just remembering something because your thinking about it.

Look up hospital delirium online. What caregivers should know and do. It is very common and not just to dementia patients. Good luck.

First I am so sorry for what your going through, last year my mum who has vascular dementia got a really bad UTI and was so bad we as a family thought we were going to loose her, she did not know anyone was so frightened and confused. When the doctors told us it was a UTI causing all the issues we were gonna smacked. My mum spent 1 week in hospital and 6 weeks in respite until she fully recovered.
I pray all works out positively for your mom.
Patrick

Another comment about this...
If this came on suddenly...
If she was not "tagged" as a "Fall Risk" and she got up herself it is possible that she had a fall in the hospital and it is a head injury.
Was she able to get out of the bed on her own?

Be sure they have checked for UTI!!! always the first thing I think of when a patient has a sudden cognitive or functional drop.

A friend of mine hand the same story and found out the common drugs Haldol and Ativan had caused the problem. Once those drugs wore off, the LO was fine.