Hi my mum moved 2 weeks ago from a nursing home that was dementia specialist but cost 400 per week in top up fees to another home that has now been refurbished and the top up fees are 80 paw which I'm pleased to say the social services are paying. Some of you may remember the dilemma I had in that my mum had spent 3 months in hospital where she got a bad bout of shingles and a stage 4 bedsore - mums dementia and physical problems all deteriorated as a result of the hospital stay she has become immobile too. At the time the only home that fitted mums criteria in her home town was the more expensive one as the other one was being refurbished. They looked after mum very well in the first home and she has really improved in the 3 months since she has been out of hospital. I have also got a very good social worker to help me wade through the minefield of carehomes and funding.
My dilemma now is that the new home my mum is in is dementia specialist and has a nursing unit and a dementia nursing unit. I was advised by at least two people not to put my mum in the dementia unit as some of the residents are quite severe. My mums nursing needs were deemed to outweigh her dementia and the manager decided that mum would be best in the nursing unit and I and the social worker agreed with this. But now that my mums in the nursing unit I'm worried that she isn't getting the social interaction and stimulation that she needs as she is a sociable chatty person and has macular degeneration so without the visual connection, she relies on social contact.
Most in fact nearly all of the residents on the nursing unit are bedridden with chronic conditions and barely able to communicate let alone have a bit of a chat with my mum. So I'm wondering if despite what people have told me about the dementia nursing unit my mum might be better there than where she is. Another thing I've noticed is that although the carers are kind and chat to mum they don't seem to make time to sit and talk or to do things with her. There is an activity coordinator and she has asked mewhat activities my mum likes to do so at least they are trying to engage her. I find it so sad and depressing when I go in to see mum and yesterday they'd got her in a reclining bed type chair in a room with several more resident all lying in their own world with the TVs on. My mum was sitting talking away to to no one in particular.
In the previous home although they all had dementia and nursing needs the was some chat and interaction between them even if it was misguided.
I'm wondering if it's just me being over sensitive and worrying too much or whether I should talk with the manager about which unit is the most suitable for my mum
What do people advise
My dilemma now is that the new home my mum is in is dementia specialist and has a nursing unit and a dementia nursing unit. I was advised by at least two people not to put my mum in the dementia unit as some of the residents are quite severe. My mums nursing needs were deemed to outweigh her dementia and the manager decided that mum would be best in the nursing unit and I and the social worker agreed with this. But now that my mums in the nursing unit I'm worried that she isn't getting the social interaction and stimulation that she needs as she is a sociable chatty person and has macular degeneration so without the visual connection, she relies on social contact.
Most in fact nearly all of the residents on the nursing unit are bedridden with chronic conditions and barely able to communicate let alone have a bit of a chat with my mum. So I'm wondering if despite what people have told me about the dementia nursing unit my mum might be better there than where she is. Another thing I've noticed is that although the carers are kind and chat to mum they don't seem to make time to sit and talk or to do things with her. There is an activity coordinator and she has asked mewhat activities my mum likes to do so at least they are trying to engage her. I find it so sad and depressing when I go in to see mum and yesterday they'd got her in a reclining bed type chair in a room with several more resident all lying in their own world with the TVs on. My mum was sitting talking away to to no one in particular.
In the previous home although they all had dementia and nursing needs the was some chat and interaction between them even if it was misguided.
I'm wondering if it's just me being over sensitive and worrying too much or whether I should talk with the manager about which unit is the most suitable for my mum
What do people advise