House insurance and poisioning hallucinations

[unabletocope]

Hi all

I would be grateful for some advice my mother has AD which is progessing unhindered because she refuses medication. This has resulted now in very little lucidity, she is virtually taken over by the hallucinations, sense and logic now appear to be a thing of the past. Recently she has had hallucinations involving the kettle blowing up she then decided as a result of this she would take the plug apart. In reality their is nothing wrong with the kettle, she also takes all the seat cushions out of her chairs because she has an hallucination that a niece who is a grown woman over 50 is coming in an wetting the chairs!
She also believes that the food I buy her comes from the neigbour again she has hallunciations that this woman is trying to put her back in hospital. ( she spent 4 months in hospital as a result of spending a night in the garage) So she believes the food is poisoned and throws it away.
My mother lives alone am I obliged to inform her insurance company that she suffers from Alzheimers disease? Also I take it that the food being poisoned is like all the other halluncinations very little can be done about it? I have tried to tell her that I buy the food but she just rants on that I am in collusion with so and so to put her back in hospital and that she is perfectly sane!!!!!

 

[Helena]

I believe you do indeed need to inform the Insurance Co
I think you will also find that they will require the gas supply to be cut off if she has a gas cooker or gas fire as she could blow the house up

By the sounds of things she is in serious danger of blowing up the house and affecting the neighbours property too and the Insurance Co could refuse to pay out

Really she should not be living alone given the seriousness of her condition

 

[jenniferpa]

Actually I suspect it will depend on exactly what her policy says as to whether any events would be covered. I would say, though, that you have a bigger issue and that is your mother does seem, from what you say, to be potentially unsafe in her home environment. Does she have a social worker? or a CPN? Do you have any support?

 

[Cliff]

Hello "Unabletocope"

I am sure many others better able to advise you will read your thread and help you.

But it does seem that the pattern of behaviour you describe sadly isn't extraordinary for an AD sufferer.

Just like to welcome you here and am sure you will have a lot of good advice from more experienced members here in TP

Very best wishes

 

[Kayla]

My mother had frightening hallucinations when she lived at home by herself, but when she went into a Care Home and all her medication was given correctly, at regular intervals, she did settle down and enjoyed the company.
After her fall, when she ended up in an EMI Nursing Home, she was terribly depressed and was having serious hallucinations at first. Once they had sorted out her medication, things were much better and she didn't seem so upset about everything.
Correct medication can help the situation, but it can be difficult to make sure it is taken regularly at home. It sounds as if sheltered housing or a care home might be needed to maintain Health and Safety.

Kayla

 

[elaineo2]

dear unabletocope,i am sure your name doesn't really portray you.my focus on this is that if you have any concerns at all then contact the relevant people.it will do no harm and may bring you peace of mind.i understand your feelings,my dad cannot be left alone,he lets all sorts in the house,selling gas,lecky,and signs up for them.luckily mum has good neighbours who intercept the salespeople.It is a worry i know,like i said contact relevant people and ask neighbours to keep an eye out if they can.hope you are ok love elainex

 

[unabletocope]

Many thanks

Hello everyone

Many thanks for your replies. Yes my mother does have a CPN for what use it is! I have generally found from the consultant downwards that the NHS staff go out of their way to be unhelpful. My mother will not in any way whatsoever co-operate!! She will not enter any form of care home without a section order I believe they will physically have to sedate her in order to take her away. She does not trust anyone and it appears least of all me.
The NHS will not issue a section order and have diagnosed that she is perfectly safe to live in her own home.
She is also violent at times it would not surprise me if she sought to use a weapon if anyone dared to remove her from her home, as she has already gone for my partner with the dustpan brush and generally wants to hit me in the face with her hand.
My hands are completely tied, I am concerned about her gas cooker and contacted British Gas but they certfied it as safe, it is a very old cooker I was hoping it would be condemed. I will now talk to the insurance co.

 

[jenniferpa]

I sense, perhaps wrongly, that you're hoping that by involving the insurance company someone's hand will be forced. However, I suspect that the most that will happen is that the insurance will be cancelled but nothing will change. Unfortunately, I don't think there's a legal requirement to have valid household insurance: if you don't have it and something happens then you can be sued.

Does she have any interaction with her neighbours? I'm afraid to say that sometimes social services will take more note of what "outsiders" say than family memebers, particularly if there's a safety issue involved.

 

[unabletocope]

No I don't believe I could ever force the hand of the NHS. I have used the trust's internal complaint's procedure and nothing has happened and nothing will happen. what I was concerned about is whether the policy would be cancelled, although in fairness to my mother at the height of her halluncination she is no more unsafe than someone who is drunk and they don't bar alcoholic's from home insurance.

 

[jenniferpa]

Call me cynical, but I would be concerned that they wouldn't cancel it and then wouldn't pay out if something went wrong. If you do contact them, I'd be inclined to send notification via recorded/registered delivery. Also, I can't remember, do you have an EPA? Because if you don't they probably will ignore what you have to say anyway.