Using the telephone

gillm

Registered User
Feb 26, 2012
7
0
Hello. First time I've been on here. My mother has moderate mixed dementia and is living in an assisted living care home, which also specialises in reminiscence.

She recently broke her hip and is back in her room after a stay in hospital. She has been much more confused since she came back.

Before she went into hospital my sister and I had just about got her use of the telephone sorted, with a loudspeaker phone taped to her table, and my sister on memory 1 and me on memory 2.

We live two and a half hours away from her and have been alternating going down once every three days to see her and trying to phone her the other days, but are wondering if this is just confusing her more? She has managed to answer the phone but she can't ring us easily at the moment.

Does anyone else have any experience of this?

Thanks in advance
 

Goingitalone

Registered User
Feb 11, 2010
1,684
0
Hi Gillm,

Welcome to TP.

My Mum had trouble using the phone as her dementia worsened. However, having said that, she did have good days and bad, in fact she may be better depending on the time of day.

Could you try ringing at different times of the day in case she's more alert say, in the morning or just after lunch?

I expect others with more experience will be along soon to advise. It must be hard for you, living so far away from your Mum. You're doing a great job of caring from a distance. Well done.

All the very best,

Maggie
 

gillm

Registered User
Feb 26, 2012
7
0
Thanks for your reassuring message goingitalone. Yes it is hard and we're feeling our way. I think it is better that we ring even if she is disorientated when we do. There's no good time of day any more. Evening used to be best, but since her fall, she hasn't really had any patterns. We also need to make sure she's sitting at her table when we do ring as she's not mobile any more.

It's tough but reading through some of the threads here I know we're not alone.
 

Goingitalone

Registered User
Feb 11, 2010
1,684
0
I wonder if you could ring when you know a carer will be on hand to give her the phone? Could you ask for a carer to pop in at a certain time of the day?
 

Roma

Registered User
Jan 15, 2008
122
0
UK
Hi Gillm

Check that she doesn't have a urine infection. My MIL has just arrived home after breaking her hip and is much more confused so we're testing for a urine infection - there were other symptoms as well but as she had a catheter in while in the hospital, I'm convinced she has a UTI. The GP has given us some trimethaprin (think that's how it's spelt) before the sample is tested at the lab as it's best to nip these things in the bud.

Roma x
 

gillm

Registered User
Feb 26, 2012
7
0
Thanks Roma,

I'm pretty sure they have tested for UTI but will check. Hope your MIL improves
x
 

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