My mother had sepsis followed by 3 UTI's in the past 4 months. Her cognitive level seemed to decline permanently after the last two UTI's. The staff at the nursing home tells me they see some people with dementia decline permanently after a UTI. It seems to me that this has happened to my mother. Has anyone experienced this with a loved one who has dementia? She is 91 yrs old.
I’d suggest that you ask to get a full bacterial panel done AND in it test to see if she has C Diff. (Clostridium Difficile)
On the C Diff, often UTI meds kill off the UTI causing bacteria but reduce the good bacteria and they then get C. Diff but get a milder case of it. If it’s C diff, they’re going to want her hospitalized as it’s nasty contagious and just too easily spread in a NH so treatment done in a hospital for 1-3 weeks or so. C diff tends to be a guys disease way way more than women, so they may not have run labs looking for C diff on her. Should that happen the NH can do a “hold” on her bed. It’s not necessarily done automatically, so clearly speak with the NH on this should she go into the hospital.
Until the UTI gets cleared up, you will not know how far Moms decline is. I don't think its 3 separate UTIs. I think its the same one not being cleared up. The last time my Mom had one, she was catherized to get every drop of the infected urine out. Then on IV for 3 days in the hospital.
I am so sorry you are going through this with your mom :(
When my dad was hospitalized after an incident where he lost touch with reality and thought the people on the tv were coming after him, they found that he had a UTI. My dad was in mid stage dementia at that point. Since then, I’ve read many articles on UTIs in elderly people, and from what I understand, UTIs, in elderly people, bring out identical symptoms of dementia, and magnifies dementia in those that already suffer from it. I am no expert, but, in all my readings, I didn’t read anything about how a UTI would cause any kind of permanent damage.
Are they sure the last UTI has cleared up?
I hope others will come and help give you some insight.