My mother in law was diagnosed with stage four malignant melanoma back in April of this year. It’s treatable but not curable. Since her diagnosis she has declined rapidly, she is now bed bound. She had a severe liver infection for which she was hospitalised for 2 weeks. Since she has been home she has continued to decline. She refuses any help from outside although she has district nurses in once a day to change her dressings on her tumour on her foot. She isn’t eating, hardly drinking, she struggles to manage her medication and has recently in the last couple of weeks become severely confused. She was confirmed to have a water infection which she has had two lots of antibiotics for. However she is still really confused, unable to remember certain things and it’s becoming very difficult to get her to understand what medication she needs and that she can’t just take them herself as she is confused all the time. She has crisis medication available however she has only had one does administered 7 weeks ago and none since. We are all struggling on what to do for the best and how to help her further. She was having immunotherapy however this was stopped due to it causing the severe liver problems. The hospital wants her to have some form of hospice care in the home but she has to agree to this and as of yet she hasn’t. Can any one offer any advise please how we can help her further. Many thanks.
