Mum in Hospital

Any infection can cause a person to become confused not just urinary infections

LemonJelly

It's an infection in her knee, not a UTI. Would this be the same thing to cause the deterioration??
She on ABs but completely delusional

Yes, an infection can cause confusion and even delirium.

She's in the best place and the antibiotics should start working soon.
Are you able to talk to the doctor in charge of her treatment? Perhaps she needs a stronger dose or a different antibiotic if it's not working.

As someone else said UTI infections can do this!My mum once accused me of stealing all her money! My dad tried to tell her but she was having none of it....once the antibiotics did their magic she was horrified at what she had said....we just laughed.. please don't worry.

Yes!!
Make a fuss and get high dose of AB, keep an eye on their feeding her - do NOT let them do the "patient choice" thing.
If she is off her food, make them give her forticups and fortisips to keep her energy up. If the do not, contact your GP for a prescription.
It can affect her ability to pee, so they put a catheter in and this makes her bed bound.

PS I used to suffer from being the daughter of a nurse from the 40s/50s so was bought up to believe Doctors were gods and their word was law.
I don't do that anymore.

Have a notebook to hand when talking to the hospital staff and take names from their name badges.
Delirium with hallucinations and ""rambling" is v v common in older patients suddenly taken into hospital and also made worse if they are moved around.

I knew nothing of this 2 years ago when DH was in hospital suddenly for a week. I know a lot more now should I need to. Important to be assertive and to repeat that your relative is not like this in normal circumstances. Also look up Charles Bonnet syndrome which can cause hallucnations in people suffering from deteriorating eye sight. I knew nothing about that either. I do now.

Absolutely and firmly insist on a test for Sepsis. And also insist on strong antibiotics whilst they wait for the results

Just don’t be surprised if the health professionals reserve the right to prescribe as they see fit.
They are qualified - are you? .

it really does emphasise the need for people to keep themselves well-hydrated. All age groups, although particularly older people who do not realise how little fluid they are taking in each day'
Many of them do not even realise they have a uti, and when they start talking rubbish and showing other seeming MH problems, too often relatives think it is down to something like dementia.
So many people (all ages) end up in hospital simply because they are not taking enough fluid.

This happened to my mil after having her appendix removed (in her 80s). It was a post op uti and four days of antibiotics she was back to her old self again. Grumpy and saying I would never be good enough for her only child- after 40 years of marriage. 😂. Hang in there antibiotics could be the solution

Yes I know of elderly people who were rambling etc. The relatives knew that UTI’s were the reason and insisted they needed AB and tests to find the correct one if not done already. Be firm.

This happened to my Dad when he was in hospital after being run over. I went to visit him and found him acting in a most bizarre way, telling me that they were coming after him, and saying things like 'Watch out, he's got a gun'. I spoke to a nurse who eventually found me a doctor to speak to, I explained my concerns and he said 'well of course, he is senile!!' I was furious, and said that my Dad was far from senile, and that something else must be going on. This particular doctor continued to try and brush me off, so in the end, I demanded to see a different doctor, who having listened to what I had to say, said he would check the drugs he was taking, and to leave it with him for a few hours, and then go back. I went back and Dad was totally back to normal. I was horrified that just because he was in his 70's, a doctor could just jump to the conclusion that he was senile, and not want to look any further for causes of strange behaviour, in spite of being told that my Dad was normally as sane as I was.

Speak to the nursing staff, and tell them that your Mum isn't normally like this, and you want it investigating OP.

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Absolutely and firmly insist on a test for Sepsis. And also insist on strong anti-biotics whilst they wait for the results.

Be firm. Insist. Make notes of names and comments - and make it obvious that you are doing so.

Good luck.
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Infections, especially UTIs, can cause hallucinations and delirium. I worked as a security officer in a hospital and was often called to the men's ward to help with patients who were 'kicking off' because they had infections in their bloodstream that were causing them to get very agitated.

Yes, UTIs are dreadful. Both my mum and my mum in law suffered with them periodically and they both had hallucinations and talked total nonsense. The antibiotics do work but it can take a while.

my late fil had several uti's and what he said we smile about now. firstly he reckoned there were baboons swinging off his dove cote outside. then he said the decorators wallpapering the lounge were getting in his way. needless to say no decorators. my daughter is a carer and she said if they are babbling rubbish its time to get them medical help!

REKA

Could it be due to whatever drugs she's on.?

Yes, or the drugs in combination?

I hope your mum is well and home soon, LemonJelly- it must be a worrying thing to witness as your mum is still relatively young.

Thank you Esmay. My mother had the same problem and I feel so sorry for LemonJelly. In our case the doctor came to the ward to explain it to us.

My daughter was better at dealing with it than I was - I just wanted my mum back and to take the fear and confusion away! I wonder if LemonJelly's mum has a friend who could be encouraged to visit?

Good advice from DaisyAnneReturns .
You really need to ask a Doctor.
It's usually urine infections that cause confusion ,but other conditions can cause it too.
I've gone through this with elderly parents.
On one occasion , my father said that the medical staff were having sex orgies at night on the ward beds after injecting themselves with heroin !

Could it be due to whatever drugs she's on.?

Experiencing this currently with a parent and been told the delirium could last up to three months. However it’s now not as bad as it was a month ago.

I’m really sorry you’re going through this, what you’re describing is incredibly distressing, especially while you’re also caring for two young children. It makes complete sense that you feel sad and overwhelmed.

I can’t diagnose your mum, but what you describe is very commonly consistent with delirium, particularly in older adults with an infection.

Delirium is:
Sudden change from someone’s normal personality or thinking
Often triggered by infection, even if the infection doesn’t seem severe
Very common in people over 65

Characterised by:
Talking nonsense or being confused
Personality changes (“this is not my mum at all” is something families say a lot)
Fluctuating lucidity (better at some times of day, worse at others)
Agitation, fear, or withdrawal

Delirium is usually temporary, but it can last days to weeks — sometimes longer — even after antibiotics start working. Recovery is often slow and uneven (good days, bad days). Being in hospital itself (noise, sleep disruption, unfamiliar faces) can worsen delirium.

A “small dose of antibiotics over weeks” suggests they may be treating a slow or stubborn infection, which can prolong symptoms.

You are entitled to clear answers. Consider asking:

“Do you think this is delirium?”
“What is the underlying cause — and are we sure the infection is controlled?”
“Has she been screened for dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, low oxygen, pain, or medication side effects?”
“What is the plan if her confusion doesn’t improve?”

If delirium hasn’t been explicitly acknowledged, it should be.

Sympathies LemonJelly. It is so frightening for you to see. Do make sure the staff and DRs know that this is not her normal behaviour.
Hopefully once the Abs work she will be better.
DH suffered from delirium in hospital especially when they moved him at night to another ward. He was fine once home. The hospital was appalling...but thats another story.

It could still be the meds but as others have said ask about sepsis ?

We should all ask the ‘could it be sepsis?’ question.

My Mum was like this too with a UTI. She is normally very reserved and she was speaking very loudly about the other ladies in her ward and saying the most ridiculous things about them. She was much better after her antibiotics.