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Really proud of myself tonight . Stood up for my dad against a geriatric physiatrist that put my 75 year old father on haldol 2 mg twice a day who has known muscle weakness and dementia . I fired her. He was only taking this medication for 5 days before things started to go down hill he was administered an IV tonight to help flush out the haldol and is doing better THANK GOD. We have to protect our loved ones from these pill pushing dr’s sometimes . Hope everyone is doing reasonably ok it’s hard out here for caregivers . Love you all 💛

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Didn't say kickbacks and unscrupulous behavior never occur. Just that it is much more tightly regulated. Nurses, NP's, bank tellers, police and virtually any other occupation have their share of unethical goings on as well. Pharmaceutical companies can take people out for nice dinners but an educational component must be part of the time spent together and the cost given by the company and received by the physician must be reported. The largest offenders now are often linked to pill mills and online prescribes because it's easier to get away with bad behavior. Those samples can be used for anyone who can benefit from them but are often saved up for and carefully distributed to those without insurance or with high deductible plans. Before SP gets knickers in a twist again, yes I have personal experience in this. Been married to a physician for nearly 4 decades and I can vouch that neither he or any physician I know receive kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies. There are multiple websites you can check to see how much, if anything, your personal physician claimed in benefits from them. Disciplinary boards go crazy over those who don't report or who abuse the system. Last year DH had 150. he reported when a medical company came in and provided the respiratory therapists a training session on a new piece of equipment they were hoping would benefit covid patients... That was for the Subway sandwiches. Lunch is not a kick back, however, and neither are free samples or ink pens. Now the Congress folks who passed those regulations? You don't have to look hard to see the benefits they receive from companies and large businesses who sponsored them. And yes, we as individuals are marketed to directly by drug companies directly every time you turn on the tv. Makes people feel like they have the scoop on information and they are educated to ask for a new product by name. Drug companies DO generally make more from these newer drugs that don't get have generic competition. When was the last time you received a prescription and filled it with the physician 's office? You take that script to a pharmacy to be filled. That is where a lot of nonsense begins. That is why you are seeing commercials for GoodRx etc. as the public is being educated as to the weird goings on that can happen in the pharmaceutical business, many of which the pharmacists themselves object to but legally must abide by. I know everyone likes to doctor bash but the reality is much more complicated.
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Im glad you are watching out for your dad. Our elderly need an advocate
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Your situation hit a nerve with me.

My Mom passed away in January, age 93. I was her son and caregiver for a number of years. She was in her home of 61 years right up until the day before she died. That day, she was acting out of the ordinary, very agitated. I called her Dr., who suggested getting her to the ER for observation. I did so. She was diagnosed with a UTI, which the ER team began treatment for. While in the ER, she suffered a short TIA (mini-stroke) which added to her stress. She came out of it, and said to me, "Please put on my sneakers, and let's go home." I explained that she needed just to stay the night, and I would return in the morning to take her home. Since we lived just a mile away from the hospital, I considered staying overnight with her, but since she had calmed down, I decided to go home.

The call came early the next morning that her condition had deteriorated just minutes before. I rushed into the ER and blurted out "What the hell happened?" She never regained consciousness, and for the next few hours, I held her hand, sang some songs, and watched as she completed the journey to the sunset of her life.

I'm big on having written records, so I requested and received details on what happened from the time I left the ER to when I returned the next day. I found out that Mom was not calm during that time, and in fact she was given a low dose of haldol. When I read up on what is does, I immediately called the ER and her Dr. for an explanation. I was told the drug is sometimes used to calm seniors in certain situations.

I know I was a good caregiver to my Mom. I kept her well fed, clean, and content. It was a hard job, but she never complained, and when she would smile, so would I. If only I was there during those hours she was in the ER, maybe she would have felt more comfortable, and would not have been the given the haldol. There was no indication it contributed to her death, as it was another issue that developed (in addition to the UTI). My decision not to stay the night still haunts me.

I was always asking questions as her caregiver, so I give you kudos for being your Dad's advocate as I was for my Mom.
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Mariavictoria30 Sep 2022
I’m so so so so so very sorry that this happened to you and your mom . You sound like you were a very good daughter and did everything you possibly could for her and then some ! Thank God my dad is doing better each day he still isn’t walking but he’s also 75 and needs a little more time to bounce back . I’m hugging you right now a big hug! It sounds like your mom had a lifetime of happiness and was with you for the times that she needed you the most don’t beat yourself up for 6 or 5 hours or how ever many hours you needed good rest in order to go back in there and facilitate care for her. I’ve been to the hospital many times with my dad it’s exhausting and when your there it’s because something really bad happened. I think your wonderful and I know your mom is proud of you and appreciates you . Thank you for commenting on my post 💛. Love to you 💛
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Right on! You did the right thing for your daddy. Its terrible these doctors drug up the elderly to a point where they are a zombie. I hope your dad is doing much better now. Yeah!
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mariavictoria - good for you. Yes, you should be proud of yourself.
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Good for you standing up to the doctor.

The doctors aren't evil, but they don't know your dad like you do. They have the book learning, but you have the common sense, and ideally together you make the care team for your dad.

I was the one who finally decided we weren't doing hospital trips any longer. My mom was in the hospital twice in that last year, and hospitals and dementia don't go together. After the last trip I said we're treating her at her memory care as best as possible and focusing on the quality of life from then on. It made life better for her and for me, because the constant state of being on alert was removed. I put her on hospice, and she lasted another seven months, including a bout of Covid, and died peacefully when it was her time.
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No worries. Take care.
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Doctor's get kick backs from Pharmaceutical companys. So its, here is a new med we have we'd like you to try on your patients. Many a time a Pharmacists catches a perscription that will interact with another the patient is taken.

Yes, you need to be an Advocate for ur LOs and yourself.
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BarbBrooklyn Aug 2022
Haldol is a very old med. Generic available.
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For what condition was your Dad prescribed Haldol?


How is that being addressed?
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Halidol. That stuff bad. Good for you getting your father away from that.
I've been in caregiving for a long time and have seen so many clients being overmedicated to the point were they basically became vegetables. It's outrageous.
Rather than give an old person with anxiety a little Ativan, or valuim, or Xanax they'll load them up on Halidol and Klonipin and other anti-psychotic drugs because they're worried about an addiction forming.
Does it matter when someone is an old invalid if they gets dependent on a drug?
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Clairesmum Aug 2022
Valium and Xanax work quickly, but definitely increase fall risk and often create rebound anxiety after a few weeks use. Klonipin has a different mechanism of action, does not give immediate relief of anxiety, so much less likely to create pyschological dependence on that feeling of relief.
Haloperidol at 2 mg is a high starting dose for an ambulatory elder, and clearly was problematic.
Use of any antipsychotic medication in elders is controversial. However, the agitation and paranoid symptoms can be so awful that the 'lesser of 2 evils' is low doses of antipsychotic.
However, haldol has many uses - works very well in the hospital for calming an agitated patient who is at risk of harming themselves or is preventing staff from performing essential treatments.
Haldol also works well to treat nausea - better than compazine, ondansetron, etc. for some people.
Physiological dependence is a concern with benzos (but not antipsychotics). Need to calculate risk/benefit for individual elder. Persistent agitation and paranoid beliefs that others are trying to poison you, etc. are very troubling for the elder and those who care about them.
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Good for you for being dad's advocate. Too many people have what they call white coat syndrome when it comes to doctors. This means they trust everything the doctor says even to their own detriment.
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JudyBlueEyes Aug 2022
White coat syndrome is when people develop high blood pressure while at the doctor's office or in a medical clinic etc. When they would not usually show high blood pressure readings away from that same situation.
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