Dear Judy,
My ex-wife is dying and delirious. Our 2 kids (19 and 26) are with her a lot, and it totally creeps them out to see her this way.
What can I say? Do? She is under hospice care.
Joe
Dear Joe,
For answer to your question I turned to “Living at the End of Life,” a very instructive and well-researched book written by Karen Whitley Bell, a hospice nurse.
Bell notes that at the end of life, delirium can be caused by a number of problems, among them: Constipation, urinary retention, dehydration, low blood sugar, electrolyte imbalance and adverse reactions to medications.
But it can also be caused, she adds, by a loss of “sensory input” — meaning, if your former wife can no longer see or hear, it can make her feel and act crazy.
Since she’s under hospice care, it might be a good idea for you (rather than your kids) to contact hospice personnel and suggest they look into the cause of her delirium.
Thank you for writing
Judy
