My mother’s lived with me for four years and has been functioning with dementia until 8 months ago when she rapidly declined. She now needs constant supervision and can’t be left alone.
When she first arrived she never put her underwear to wash. She would wash them in the bathroom and put them on her radiator. I let her do it because I didn’t want to embarrass her. She’s very old fashioned and wouldn’t want my hands on hubby hanging her knickers and bra on the line, she would be mortified!
Over the last few weeks all her underwear started disappearing. I think she’s forgotten how to wash them and rather than give them to me to wash she’s throwing them away. They are definitely gone! She strongly believes someone has been in her room and stolen them. I’ve tried replacing them but she rejects everything I buy and they go missing again!
She has a particular brand of knickers called sloggi which are expensive and she will only wear white so they are identical to hers but she won’t have it. I’ve also bought the identical bras from Marks and Spencer’s but she won’t accept them. She says they’re not hers don’t fit and she’s never worn anything like them. She’s getting really distressed about the woman whose going into her room and taking her things. She’s sat on the settee now and we’ve had the same conversation 20 times with 2 minute breaks in between.
It’s already an impossible task and now I can’t even make sure she’s got her knickers on!
I emailed the mental health team begging for some help three days ago and didn’t get a response until yesterday. The response was less than useless! The mental health worker will speak to someone this afternoon and get back when she can... probably just after I’ve completely broken down!
When she first arrived she never put her underwear to wash. She would wash them in the bathroom and put them on her radiator. I let her do it because I didn’t want to embarrass her. She’s very old fashioned and wouldn’t want my hands on hubby hanging her knickers and bra on the line, she would be mortified!
Over the last few weeks all her underwear started disappearing. I think she’s forgotten how to wash them and rather than give them to me to wash she’s throwing them away. They are definitely gone! She strongly believes someone has been in her room and stolen them. I’ve tried replacing them but she rejects everything I buy and they go missing again!
She has a particular brand of knickers called sloggi which are expensive and she will only wear white so they are identical to hers but she won’t have it. I’ve also bought the identical bras from Marks and Spencer’s but she won’t accept them. She says they’re not hers don’t fit and she’s never worn anything like them. She’s getting really distressed about the woman whose going into her room and taking her things. She’s sat on the settee now and we’ve had the same conversation 20 times with 2 minute breaks in between.
It’s already an impossible task and now I can’t even make sure she’s got her knickers on!
I emailed the mental health team begging for some help three days ago and didn’t get a response until yesterday. The response was less than useless! The mental health worker will speak to someone this afternoon and get back when she can... probably just after I’ve completely broken down!