Delirium after a stroke

[millertime78]

My Dad has been diagnosed with having delirium after a stroke. He is continuously restless and agitated, he is always pulling at the bedclothes or taking off his own clothes. Is there any treatment for delirium and is it reversible?

[millertime78]

Latest update

Dad is home now for 4 weeks & he's doing ok. He's much happier & contented. We've established that he can read so hopefully the speech therapy can now commence. The incontinence is improving which is a relief. He's sleeping well & eating well. Speech is gradually becoming more clear.

[PamRam228]

Thank goodness!!  I'm glad your dad is improving.  I've been waiting to hear about the incontinence because I was sure that would improve.  It is still VERY, VERY early in his recovery and he'll keep improving.  He may be cranky at being washed and dressed because he feels he should be able to do it himself.  He's, most likely, upset over the loss of independence.

By the way, I took my husband out of the rehab facility a week early because of the same thing you said.  I didn't like seeing my husband sitting somewhere in a corner like an old feeble 90 year old man (again, he's only 56).  I felt he was neglected and I, nor he, couldn't take it any more.

So, congrats on your dady and I'll be looking forward to hearing more about his progress!

[millertime78]

Latest Update

He's getting on great at home, wants to be outside in the garden doing something, the incontinence is improving and he's starting to use the toilet on his own. The agitation has completely stopped. It was a great decision to bring him home, he's adapted great to home life. He's still irritable & cranky in the morning when he's being washed and dressed. Slowly but surely he's improving

[PamRam228]

No, my husband didn't go to a nursing home.  He spent 4 weeks in the hospital and 3 weeks in a rehab center.  When I brought him home he was able to do almost everything himself.  He had left side hemiparesis but that's all gone now.  He does have a little spasticity in his left arm.  His main deficit is his vision.  He has double vision and that stops him from being able to do a lot more around the house.  He walks great, no problem with talking, but has very mild short term memory...mostly forgetting to take his meds or forgets what day it is.  He will be 57 and, honestly, he has healed up exceptionally well even though the doctors didn't think he'd make it.  

[nikki81]

My mom can talk now and she pulled her own trach out three times and finally they had to leave it. She can't walk because her left side is still paralyzed. She can pivot with two people helping her to get into bed. Right now they are saying at 50 she has to go to a nursing home. Did your husband go to a nursing home?

[millertime78]

Another update....

We've decided to bring Dad home. I'm taking a few weeks off work to get him settled at home. It broke my heart to see him in the nursing home sitting on his own all day. 5 days in and so far so good. He's sleeping great, starting to communicate more, eating well & seems much more satisfied (at times). The biggest problems is the incontinence but hopefully that will cease over time. He is extremely defensive when we try to dress him,
Overall we're happy to have brought him home, the change of environment has had a positive effect. I'm checking out the complementatary chinese medicine as I've lost faith in coventional drugs.