No doctor or nurse has answered! Well as we all know the elderly are always cold...and me running around keeping quality of life stable here...cannot have the heat on...so I make sure she is reasonably covered up and warm enough as one would with an infant but she insists she is still cold and wants more blankets. against my wishes my caregivers heed to her requests, constantly to not overblanket her as when I have to get her up n changed after you leave she is soaking wet in sweat....
so the question that has been posed to all of her Med professionals and not answered is what is better for her....to feel a little chilly when adequately covered up or to be drenched in sweat....I feel the latter Is not good cause then when I do unblanket her and she is wet/moist she does then get a real chill..could lead to pneumonia, sp?..therefore more dangerous than maintaining my way!
So am I wrong in being upset that my support staff are making their own call on this???? I think not!!!
Various illnesses can get the internal thermostat out of whack!
A family member also has thryoid issues (cancer) and had a gastric bypass. I truly wish more doctors and nurses would take the time to learn the long-term needs of gastric bypass patients. Some of her sensitivity to cold may be due to her lack of vitamins and adequate grams of protein. Ensure is not good enough. My family member has to take over 18 vitamins a day and ideally 90-120 grams of protein a day - just to give you an idea. So, that is an issue that compounds the general coldness that typical old folks feels.
The space heater is a good quick fix as long as it's not a safety hazard. In any case, best to you.
On the other side of the coin, if your body has a higher than normal count of that said vitamin, adding more could become toxic.
I highly recommend one see their doctor and get blood work done to see your vitamin levels.
Re: clothing/blankets--there is a popular quote "cotton kills" because it doesn't allow moisture to evaporate, it absorbs it and keeps it next to skin, where it encourage bacterial & fungal growth, not to mention, feeling cold. Avoid anything cotton. InInstead use nylon (undergarments), acrylic (socks, sweaters, blankets) and polyester blends with a looser weave, or polyester fleece (blouse & slacks). Best of all options is wool--best breathability of all, but mostly you'll find this in a washable version only in socks, sweaters & blankets.
Having thick socks on may help if she is not moving her lower limbs much, and for overall sense of being cold, wear a hat! This is because a lot of blood circulates thru the brain which is in your head (at least for females....). Alao consider a cowl or short neck scarf but these might be a strangulation hazard.
Here is my personal example: when my family member fell ill with thryroid cancer and was in the hospital, I told everyone and anyone who would listen and even spoke to their on-staff nutritionist. Someone with gastric bypass needs at the very least 60 grams of protein. 90 is better. 120 is actually the best, especially for people ailing and needing more support.
After all my attempts at trying to communicate this, guess what they brought my family member? Spaghetti with a very small meat sauce. You could get more meat/protein from the cheapest Taco Bell taco. I had to smuggle in tubes of liquid protein, again from Vitamin Shoppe and no I'm not an employee or stockholder. I was just trying to save a life when no one else would listen.
Good things can come from doctors and nurses specializing in something; but bad things come as well because there is obviously a painful lack of communication.
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