Medication becoming ineffective for my dad. He is administered does of drugs every 4 hours and is barely rewarded with 1.5 out of on time due to the delays in absorption through digestive system and/or the medications losing their effectiveness.
Father informed there is a medical device called duopa which requires a port to be installed in jejunum. Allows pump to be worn for up to 18 hours a day where same mediation in gel form is administered directly at absorption point.
Unable to live in current residence with port. Was told 'you're welcome to pursue this treatment. If you get the port you can't live here.' Conversation ended.
Researched options. Next move to skilled nursing facility. You might as well have one foot in the grave. Alternative would be in home care facilities where someone has a house staffed with better trained medical assistants to provided higher levels of care with better care/provider ration. 4:1.
Residents share space in a regular house with private and shared space available and shared bathrooms. A resident literally gets a bedroom. And access to common areas like shared living accommodations.
Residents require more care. Diabetics. Dialysis. Feeding tubes. Tracheotomy.
My dad is willing to give up his independence and autonomy to try the duopa pump. Expecting a golden ticket from Parkinson's.
Suggested he moderate his expectations.
We are looking at care facilities today.
He views this as giant step forward. I view this as giant step backward. There is no meeting in the middle.. I find it impossible to put on a windex shine to something I feel will not bring him the benefit he is expecting.
I hope I'm wrong and he's right because to me this is the beginning of the end.
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