Expert: Paula Damgaard - 9/9/2009

Question
Our Mother has early onset Alzheimer's Dementia... she is 62 and in the final stages.. she has seizures regularly.  This morning she seized and was unresponsive for about 45 minutes... The ER Dr. Elected not to do a CAT SCAN although he thinks there could be a possibility of a brain bleed.  My mother is VERY agitated and the only way to get a CAT SCAN would most likely be under General Anesthetic.  They did however discover a UTI when examining her.  The Dr. said that our mother had a very poor quality of life, this is true, she doesn't speak except to occasionally mimic us, she does walk but falls all the time, doesn't eat or drink much and she hallucinates all the time with most of her day spent screaming.  The Dr recommended not treating the UTI, but to just let nature take it's course so as not to prolong her life any more than necessary. He said she could turn septic lapse into a coma and die.  Hospice has been called in...  

My question is this.... is it the right thing to not treat a UTI... I know that it is relatively easy to treat..and I am just not sure if not treating it is the correct thing to do?  Any insight would be so helpful..

Answer
Hi Michele, I feel your pain.  I have to say I agree with her doctor.  He is right she has no quality of life and treating any infection will only give her quantity of life which she would not want.

I know how difficult this decision is I had to make it myself.  But to this day I will tell everyone that it was the best decision we ever made for our mother.  If she could have seen how she was she would have hated us.  She never wanted to be like that.  Death is not always a bad thing.  

Please know that you are doing the right thing and that your mother will be at peace.  My thoughts are with you and please feel free to cry on my shoulder.  Take care of yourself and tell her everything you have always wanted to tell her.

Paula