It plummets into the 70’s immediately, she fidgets constantly and truly does not sleep... I have no idea what to do at this point!
There may be one clear day and then a couple of bad days followed by a 12-14 hour sleep, good clear day and the cycle just repeats.
They now think there is actually no dementia instead it seems that my mom's CO2 levels are out of whack due to the COPD causing the utter confusion (seeing objects and people not there and imagining all sorts of actions, reaching for imaginary objects) and the lack of sleep just magnifies the problem (48 hrs. no sleep at all, including naps, followed by 12-14 hrs. deep sleep). When she does wake up after sleeping she is totally herself, rational, talking and laughing just like normal. She is on Hospice for the COPD as they were never able to do a pet scan to try and determine if the nodules which appeared in her right lung ,and have now spread to the left lung, were actually carcinoma but all evidence points that direction with no "breathing sounds" being present in her left lung at this time.
I recently had surgery (cataract) so during the procedure I had to have the oxygen and I am in possession of my faculties (at least I think I am ;)) and I found it annoying, uncomfortable and I did not like the noise. Not to mention the smell of the plastic was not pleasant.
So I can fully understand why someone that is not with all their faculties would try to remove the cannula.
With the dementia she probably has no idea why this thing is stuck in her nose.
Bringing the tubing from behind might make it more difficult for her to remove.
This may be an ongoing problem until she declines more and can not figure out how to remove it.
Give her something to fidget with that may keep her hands busy and she might forget about the tubes.
With her brief stay in the hospital, she also removed her IV. And in the NH, she kept removing the oxygen. That seems to me to be a very decisive communication of her wishes, whether I think she’s competent to make that decision or not. If I were doing it again - AND she was reaching end stage - I would let her do anything she wanted and I would just be there to love her - not to tell her what to do or not do about her own body - and in this case her own dying process. And I would challenge nurses who didn’t know her rather than giving in to the whole authority structure of treatment. I learned a LOT that I wish I had done differently. Bottom line, it is their life. And our POA and AD is designed to honor their wishes as if they were there to speak for themselves — not to just keep them alive to postpone our grief and/or guilt. Yes, they are confused. But sometimes I think that confusion may be designed to keep the fear at bay. Things like IV’s and oxygen cannula or other medical devices at that stage fanned the flames of the fear rather than otherwise. Does it take more courage to keep someone alive artificially or to let them die naturally? It’s different for each person and each situation. So please read this as me sharing my experience as fodder for thought, not as me telling anyone else what to do.
Try humidification. Sometimes the nasal cannula oxygen dries and irritates the nose, even with 2 liters. Humidification helps and the sound of bubbles helps put people to sleep.
Does she get breathing treatments? How does she tolerate that mask? If the cannula is irritating her, the mask might work better.
If not, try to get one and use saline nose spray to help make her more comfortable. The drying caused can make anyone agitated.
Have you discussed this with her doctor, maybe they can help keep her more comfortable if it is not the drying effect of the oxygen.
The only time it sounded an alarm is when her seizure medicine made her grin so big, the face mask could not seal. {:o)