What is the outlook for my father kidney failure, diabetes,?My dad has kidney failure, congestive heart failure, both eye diseases caused by diabetes. But hes eems to be maintaining now what he got on dialysis. His blood pressure is always very high.
He finally got some tubes in his chest so he can go to dialysis which could keep him out of the hospital.
My question is how long has he got a year, five years, a decade , twenty years\?
I am totally overwhelmed by the care he needs and i need to get some help. He has drs appointments all the time, dialysis three times a week, phsyical therapy three times a week, and we have to get him groceries, cook him meals.
He refuses to get a cane to make it easier for him to get around, he lives far away from me and wont move closer, and he is clinging to this dream of moving to reno by himself. The thing is drs wontt ell me how serious or managable this all is. I dont know if i should keep him close cause things will deteriorate. Let him go to reno because he is going to need to get used to this.
I need to know how long to plan for so i know how to use the insurance and what our options are. I am so exhausted.
Does anyone have any advice for taking care of someone you cant stand to be around?
Posted by biophilia
I'm sorry you're in this situation. Any one of those medical issues alone can be very draining.
It's really hard to predict how long your father will live. I can give you statistics, but it's important to know that statistics are for a population, not for individuals. There's also a range. Prognosis for those on dialysis really depends upon the underlying disease and the overall physical condition of the person. The average is 4 years, but there have also been people who lived for 25+ years on dialysis. As for congestive heart failure, the average life expectancy is 5 years. But that's just the average.....a lot depends upon what stage the person is in, how they're being treated and how they're managing it. (My grandfather was diagnosed with CHF almost 10 years ago and he's still going.) Hopefully these numbers will give you some idea, but I really can't predict because 1) I"m not his physician with access to his full medical record and 2) even if I were, doctors don't have crystal balls and there's a lot that modern medicine can't account for. He has a lot going on medically and that puts him at a higher risk for a lot of problems that could lead to death but it sounds like your dad is a figher and that could count for a lot.
As for being overwhelmed, that's understandable. I'd suggest trying to meet with a social worker (talk to his doctors for a suggestion) who would be aware of the various services that are available for your father. He might be able to have a visiting nurse provide care a couple times a week or even every day. Meals on wheels could help with some of the groceries (or at least giving him solid meals). Some organizations (usually associated with churches) take the eldery to doctor's appointments. The social worker might also help you navigate in order to figure out what his true prognosis is and what adjustments can be made so that he can either live more independently or help him to realize that he does need some help. There are a lot of assisted living facilities that give people a lot of independence while still providing some support.
Good luck.
Posted by Tin S
Prognosis
Ultimately, chronic kidney failure progresses in most people regardless of treatment. The rate of decline in kidney function depends somewhat on the underlying disorder causing the kidney failure and on how well it is controlled. For example, diabetes and high blood pressure, particularly if poorly controlled, cause kidney failure to progress more rapidly. Kidney failure is fatal if not treated. Survival when kidney failure is severe (sometimes called end-stage kidney failure) is usually limited to several months in people who are not treated, but those who are treated with dialysis can live much longer. However, even with dialysis, most people with end-stage kidney failure die within 5 to 10 years. Most die from heart or blood vessel disorders or infections
So with his heart condition , he is probably not going to live 5 years. As feisty as he is probably sooner . Dialysis is a real pain , so look for depression.
If you can't really handle it , just turn him over to the county. Yes , you may feel responsibility, but you can't just walk away from your life.From what you say , he brought all this on all by himself by not taking care of his diabetes all along. I know all about these stubborn types. They can drive you totally crazy. You need a group of people to take care of him. What about the rest of the family ?
Can't they chip in.
If he really gets to you , just play loud heavy metal music for him. That way you can both go crazy at the same time !!!!
Tin
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