Hello, My mother is 86, I am her only carer. I have a brother but he refuses to engage with caring for her. She has a long history of mental health problems , paranoia and severe anxiety, she’s never had a formal diagnosis but this is what her GP told me.
Last May I took her to see her GP as I was worried about her memory. She failed a fairly intensive memory test by the GP and after having some bloods done she was referred to the memory clinic.
However when the appointment letters were sent to her at home she cancelled the appointments and destroyed the letters. The GP said there was nothing we could do but wait for things to deteriorate to the point social services needed to be involved and that if it impacted on my own mental health, which it has I should walk away. I can’t do that!
Almost a year on I am noticing a further deteriation in her memory. She can’t remember the names of her neighbours she known sixty years, or the name of local streets. Recently I needed her to sign some legal paper work and she simply could not grasp what I needed her to do, and would ring me repeatedly to ask again what to do.
I have asked her to come back to the GP, told her I love her and am concerned that I’m noticing her memory is getting worse. She refuses to go to the GP, told me she will tell me when she needs to go. When asked if she has noticed her memory getting worse she says it’s because she’s tired or that I make her nervous. Her GP won’t do a home visit and the local mental health team say they can’t visit without her consent and without up to date bloods they can’t refer her to the memory clinic.
I’m sure this is not a unique situation and wondered what other people have found successful in these circumstances?
Thanks,
Tracey
Last May I took her to see her GP as I was worried about her memory. She failed a fairly intensive memory test by the GP and after having some bloods done she was referred to the memory clinic.
However when the appointment letters were sent to her at home she cancelled the appointments and destroyed the letters. The GP said there was nothing we could do but wait for things to deteriorate to the point social services needed to be involved and that if it impacted on my own mental health, which it has I should walk away. I can’t do that!
Almost a year on I am noticing a further deteriation in her memory. She can’t remember the names of her neighbours she known sixty years, or the name of local streets. Recently I needed her to sign some legal paper work and she simply could not grasp what I needed her to do, and would ring me repeatedly to ask again what to do.
I have asked her to come back to the GP, told her I love her and am concerned that I’m noticing her memory is getting worse. She refuses to go to the GP, told me she will tell me when she needs to go. When asked if she has noticed her memory getting worse she says it’s because she’s tired or that I make her nervous. Her GP won’t do a home visit and the local mental health team say they can’t visit without her consent and without up to date bloods they can’t refer her to the memory clinic.
I’m sure this is not a unique situation and wondered what other people have found successful in these circumstances?
Thanks,
Tracey
