The elderley......

[yelenots]

My mother is 88yrs old is always saying she doesnt feel well but when we ask her if its her stomach or have you got a headache etc she says she just doesnt feel 100%. Last week she got taken into hospital with back pains, they did blood tests, xrays etc but apart from osteoporosis and anemia they couldnt find much wrong with her. Does anyone know whether this is 'normal' not to feel well and healthy when your old? I am very worried about her! Thanks :)

[Mamyalynne]

I don't know whether you would describe it as 'normal' but is not that uncommon. She may well be feeling down and then of course you feel out of sorts, does she seem happy?
Osteoporosis can cause pain but you say she does not describe anything specific, my late Mum went through stages of this though she was not your Mum's age and said she was tired and fed up of it all, so depression may just be an issue. See if she will chat to a listening GP.

[welshlibranr]

Oh yelenots, she is quite elderly, and yes this is very common for a lady of her years,
she probably feel tired most of the time, and has numerous aches and pains related to her age...........and the anaemia won't be helping either, making her feel even mor tired than she would normally be!...............

[Mamyalynne]

That is very true Welsh, I missed the anaemia when I first read the post.

[boxtops]

My old mum used to compare how she felt in her 90s to the the way she felt in her vibrant younger days, and it did get her down and make her feel out of sorts. Osteoporosis and particularly anaemia can make you feel very lifeless - I hope they're suggesting some medication for her to boost these conditions.

[tamborine]

I would have thought the key was anemia, is she eating well. Leave her some of the food you cook, other peoples cooking always taste better.

[welshlibranr]

yes Mamy, it makes you very tired!........but the elderly do suffer from depression quite often too!........Folk seem to think that they just want/need to sit and doze all day and night!........they need to be stimulated, other wise they become depressed!........too much time spent alone is not a good thing for them!....

[yelenots]

Thanks for your replies....yes she is having iron tablets (well she says shes taking them and I am checking but she is getting forgetful!) She seems to be eating ok but doesnt have very much! Just have to keep my eye on her..dont think she depressed...yet! Thanks everyone

[welshlibranr]

Oh, yelenots, hope she's better soon, try to make sure she takes the iron tabs, and maybe try to get her into a day centre a few days a week, if she doesn't already, company is so important for the elderly!.............

[Sqad]

yelenots

<<<etc but apart from osteoporosis and anemia they couldnt find much wrong with her.<<<

Oh! nothing suspicious there then :-(

Now ..what degree of anaemia?, what of anaemia?.if P.A she should be on injections, if iron deficiency is she losing blood somewhere, is she not absorbing iron?

Has she had thyroid blood tests?

A very shoddy attempt at investigating an old lady which is getting more and more frequent in the UK and is an unacceptable standard of health care.

Get the above questions answered.

A ver

[TheOtherHalf]

Sorry to hear about your Mum yelenots.

My 94 year old MIL has just gone into respite after having pneumonia. Since before Xmas she kept saying she wasnt well and feeling very low but she put it down to getting frustrated at not being able to do what she used to as shes always been active even until beginning of last November she would come to Tesco with us but do her own shopping. We found also that she was aneamic and also dehydrated as she was frightened to drink too much which meant she had to struggle to the loo more often. We still cannot get through to her how important this is as even in the respite home, she doesnt want to keep bothering them. Bless her.
She has a strong constitution and her heart and blood pressure is as good as ours, but I think when they get to a certain age like that they do start to feel down not necessarily ill.
Hope your mum gets better soon

[yelenots]

Thank you everyone...you are all very kind with your good wishes.
She seems abit brighter today and has managed to cook her own dinner. Fortunately she lives in a 'McCarthy & Stone' type retirement flat and she has some lovely neighbours who are all popping in to see her.
I am just concered that her back pain maybe her kidneys - we explained this to the hopsital on Wed - didnt seem very concerned just gave her painkillers (and iron tablets) They said her blood sugar levels we up when she got admitted yet nothing further said - she was in A & E for 8 hours and didnt even get offered a drink of water or a sandwich!! We'll just have to see how things go.

[Mamyalynne]

Glad she is brighter today, all the above points made by sqad are right and need checking up on, equally TOH is spot on with keeping up fluid intake.
If in doubt get in touch with GP to follow these things up.

Take care.

Mamya (not a nurse)