The sliding syndrome is a pathology of old age where a person weakened by an event lets himself go towards death. With a fatal outcome in the vast majority of cases, the best way to act is to prevent it by surrounding and supporting our elderly loved ones.
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the slip syndrome was described for the first time by Doctor Jean Carrié in 1956. It is defined by a deterioration in the patient’s condition which lets itself “slide” towards death. We sometimes hear the expression “unconscious suicide”. It concerns elderly people (over 70 years old), even very old people (over 80 years old), generally fragile and presenting several pathologies.
What are the first symptoms of slip syndrome?
This happens rather suddenly. A person suddenly loses the taste for life and no longer wishes to eat, wash or dress. She is no longer hungry or thirsty. She feels extremely tired and does not get up anymore. The person locks himself in and refuses communication or else becomes very aggressive towards his relatives or the nursing staff. While performing many daily tasks independently, these become insurmountable. This change in behavior is accompanied by high anxiety and various anxieties such as the fear of being alone. A sliding syndrome is sometimes difficult to detect: it can be confused with a depressive episode or with normal convalescence.
In the elderly, the lack of movement for a prolonged period can become irreversible: the muscles atrophy very quickly. In addition, a lack of food or hygiene offers a breeding ground for infections in already weakened subjects. In many cases, up to 90% depending on writersthe sliding syndrome progresses rapidly, within a maximum of four weeks, towards the death of the patient.
In what context does slippage syndrome occur and how can it be prevented?
Slip syndrome often follows a shock physical or psychological: a admission to a retirement home badly lived, the death spouse, hospitalization, accident. A fall at home can also be traumatic, especially if the person has been alone on the ground for a long time. It usually takes a few days between the event and the onset of the syndrome. When a Old person going through a difficult ordeal, she must be surrounded and feel supported, physically and psychologically, if possible by those close to her.
How to treat a slip syndrome?
The ideal remains prevention of the syndrome. To avoid a fatal outcome, a diagnostic rapid and early treatment are essential. This includes:
- medico-psychological support;
- appropriate re-nutrition and rehydration, parenteral if necessary;
- the prevention or treatment of pressure sores associated with prolonged stationary motion;
- exercise rehabilitation by a physiotherapist or an occupational therapist.
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