Mum who suffers from Altzheimers, recently was admitted for respite care and possibly permanent nursing care to care home. She gets on well with those residents who are at her level of awareness (poss only 2 others?). Problem is her mental anguish. When I visit she chats briefly then starts to scramble over me and everything else in the room in a bid to get out and go home. She has lived in her own home for numerous years, going to a day centre 4 days a week. She has fallen a few times and has been hospitalised. Now she cannot stand or walk freely without a zimmer. She needs help getting out of bed, washing and dressing. She doesnt know what day or time of day it is and forgets where she puts things. She repeats stories from years ago, gets frightened if left on her own and is depressed. She is on morphine, antidepressents and other painkillers and when free of pain thinks she is perfectly healthy.
My heart breaks to watch her pleading to go home with me when I visit. The whole family and carers alike went to the limit of our ability to keep her safe and contented in her own home but she needs constant monitoring and caring. I keep wondering whether I should take her out of home and try looking after her in my house again (I have stairs and she cant climb them now). I almost had a nervous breakdown looking after her in several forms over the last few years. Does she pine when shes going about in the nursing home or do the TV lounges and activities keep her from thinking about the family? Its so difficult to understand whats happening in her head. Love her so much and cant function til I resolve her pain.
My heart breaks to watch her pleading to go home with me when I visit. The whole family and carers alike went to the limit of our ability to keep her safe and contented in her own home but she needs constant monitoring and caring. I keep wondering whether I should take her out of home and try looking after her in my house again (I have stairs and she cant climb them now). I almost had a nervous breakdown looking after her in several forms over the last few years. Does she pine when shes going about in the nursing home or do the TV lounges and activities keep her from thinking about the family? Its so difficult to understand whats happening in her head. Love her so much and cant function til I resolve her pain.