Hubby has young onset Alz. In residential care. Hasn't been sleeping for about a week. Care home has taken urine sample to test for UTI. His radiator not working so I've bought a portable heater. Trying to eliminate all possible reasons for him not sleeping. Leaving this evening after night shift has started and the night care assistant tells me why - there's a new lady who's very anxious and agitated and she's spending all night up and down knocking on people's doors and telling them to get up!! And hubby is doing what he's told and trying to look after the old lady! Care assistant is exhausted. I am sympathetic to the new resident as her dementia is very advanced but desperately want hubby to get some sleep as it is affecting his mood and then the staff start complaining about him ... As with most care homes I think there is not enough staff on at night but I don't think me complaining will make any difference. This evening I put a coffee table with plant outside his door to try and stop her knocking on his door ... probably contravenes health and safety but I'm desperate for him to sleep ... Anyone got any words of wisdom?!
Hubby not sleeping
- Thread starter everdrew89
- Start date
Hello everdrew, how awful for your husband, report this to the care manager, hopefully this is just a phase and she will stop, my husband wanders about most of the night, but doesn't knock on residents doors, sometimes he wanders in them. I hope she gets tired and stops soon.
The night wanderer and pacer is a difficult one to manage my dad is one of those in the care home although as he declines and ages it is with less agitation and purpose just usually looking for a bed to sleep on as he can't now orientate to his room and like many he doesn't see the home or rooms as being used by others. Staff are positioned to redirect not just dad but several others either to encourage back to room or into lounge with a cup of tea but it takes a lot of committment and opportunity by the 4 staff to 34 residents and isn't always successful. Some pwd like dad will probably never settle at night as that is part of their dementia. I would speak to the manager to see if any more strategies can be employed both for the other resident and your hubby. Blocking the door is understandable in your aim but a complete no. Fire hazard, trip hazard for your hubby and anyone else in the corridor among just a few risks. At dads care home they are not allowed understandably to lock bedroom doors even those doors that can unlock from inside and out as those like dad without mental capacity are unable to have freedom to need to come out of rooms. I am very surprised the staff accepted you blocking hubby door even for good intention.
Just to clarify, the coffee table and plant were already in the corridor outside his room, I just repositioned it in attempt to block her access to his door ...
This evening the staff took the initiative to do something similar, namely close the fire door at his end of the corridor in an attempt to stop her going down there. Last night's care assistant said she had already tried that but she still went down the corridor.
I know she lived in the block of flats next door to the home (and on her own) and I've come to the conclusion that she had a friend who she went to for help whose door was in that same position. Also as my husband is young and physically very fit (and likes to be helpful), he looks like the kind of person she can ask for help so I think she's latched on to him a bit (and to me aswell because I was friendly to her when she first moved in).
It sounds like your dad's care home and my husband's care home have different policies about locking doors. My husband is allowed to lock his door and I am extremely relieved that that is their policy as he wouldn't be getting any peace if he didn't. His room is the last at the end of corridor and the many residents who are constantly trying to find a way of getting out of the building are often trying his door or coming in if it's unlocked.
This evening the staff took the initiative to do something similar, namely close the fire door at his end of the corridor in an attempt to stop her going down there. Last night's care assistant said she had already tried that but she still went down the corridor.
I know she lived in the block of flats next door to the home (and on her own) and I've come to the conclusion that she had a friend who she went to for help whose door was in that same position. Also as my husband is young and physically very fit (and likes to be helpful), he looks like the kind of person she can ask for help so I think she's latched on to him a bit (and to me aswell because I was friendly to her when she first moved in).
It sounds like your dad's care home and my husband's care home have different policies about locking doors. My husband is allowed to lock his door and I am extremely relieved that that is their policy as he wouldn't be getting any peace if he didn't. His room is the last at the end of corridor and the many residents who are constantly trying to find a way of getting out of the building are often trying his door or coming in if it's unlocked.
