My dad was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer two months ago. He is 84 but otherwise healthy. He thought he had sciatica so diagnosis was a shock. He was given hormone therapy injections and tablets and within two weeks was a shadow of himself. Exhausted and unable to move about properly. He was admitted for emergency radiotherapy after falling at home and spent two weeks in hospital. He was discharged without a care plan after refusing help but was clearly not able to look after himself at home. I am his only family and live 50 miles away but I stayed with him for a few days hoping to get help from social services. Dad was in bed most of the time and mostly asleep. He was unable to take medication himself or organise food and drink or use the phone. He developed.a worsening cough which was a worry so I called the hospital helpline for advice. They said to bring him back to the hospital and sent transport. It turned out he had aspiration pneumonia caused by swallowing issues. He is on iv antibiotics and has been nil by mouth for over a week. In the last few days he has become delirious and they are now saying he is unlikely to recover from the pneumo of as he is too weak and is not able to eat proper,y or use a feeding tube. I feel like he has got worse because of going into hospital. And it is my fault for phoning the helpline. I could have helped him at home more or called his gp for a home visit. I keep thinking he would have got better this way and not deve.oped the delirium. I thought I was doing the right thing and didn't really fully understand what was happening. Has anyone experienced anything similar?
