Trenton, NJ - An Alzheimer's patient at Lakeside Memory Care was sent to the emergency department at 3:00 a.m. last Sunday morning after staff noticed normal mental status.
Responding to a frantic 911 call, emergency officials arrived to find an elderly woman in a wheelchair trying to sleep. "I'm sleeping. Please don't sternal rub me again," said Lonnie Bester, a 92 year-old resident who's baseline function involves a series of erratic clicks, grunts and moans.
"I tried to give her a sleeping pill and she told me she was already sleeping. That's when I knew something was wrong and I called 911," said Lisa Blazen, the night nurse responsible for saving Lonnie's life.
Even emergency crews were surprised at the severity of her normal mental status. "When I went to check her blood pressure, she politely handed me her arm. No kicking. No punching. No cussing. That's when I made the decision to turn on the sirens," said Jim Denton, the EMT who arrived first on the scene.
Shortly after leaving Lakeside, Mr. Denton, called report to ER doctors and nurses in anticipation of the patient's imminent arrival.
"Usually when I hear an Alzheimer's patient coming in at 3:00 a.m., I start cursing out loud during their report. But not this time. She sounded really sick," said ER physician Ben Jasper.
Doctors and nurses searched diligently for a cause of her normal mental status. But one negative head CT and a contaminated clean catch urine later left the team intellectually dissatisfied. Ms. Bester was ultimately admitted to the Hospitalist physician after Lakeside refused to take her back on a Sunday.
"Prepare yourself. Demented patient with altered mental status coming to the ER. At 3 am."
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Responding to a frantic 911 call, emergency officials arrived to find an elderly woman in a wheelchair trying to sleep. "I'm sleeping. Please don't sternal rub me again," said Lonnie Bester, a 92 year-old resident who's baseline function involves a series of erratic clicks, grunts and moans.
"I tried to give her a sleeping pill and she told me she was already sleeping. That's when I knew something was wrong and I called 911," said Lisa Blazen, the night nurse responsible for saving Lonnie's life.
Even emergency crews were surprised at the severity of her normal mental status. "When I went to check her blood pressure, she politely handed me her arm. No kicking. No punching. No cussing. That's when I made the decision to turn on the sirens," said Jim Denton, the EMT who arrived first on the scene.
Shortly after leaving Lakeside, Mr. Denton, called report to ER doctors and nurses in anticipation of the patient's imminent arrival.
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| Lonnie was the most normal ER patient that night. |
Doctors and nurses searched diligently for a cause of her normal mental status. But one negative head CT and a contaminated clean catch urine later left the team intellectually dissatisfied. Ms. Bester was ultimately admitted to the Hospitalist physician after Lakeside refused to take her back on a Sunday.
"Prepare yourself. Demented patient with altered mental status coming to the ER. At 3 am."
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