Aggressive behaviour - where to next?

[Sue321]

Hi everyone. My Father who has dementia and is blind is suffering more bouts of aggression which sometimes lead to either him hurting someone or him hurting himself. I think its the frustration of not knowing where he is and not being able to see who is talking, walking past or anything.
today was a bad day for him and he has lashed out yet again at the carers in the care home. They give him medication which should calm him down but it working less and less and his behaviour is becoming very difficult for them to handle.
He is in a dementia unit but they are now telling me that he may need to be moved elsewhere for the safety of residents and staff.

I don't understand where they can send him. He is in a recognised dementia unit and apart from putting him in a padded cell somewhere I can't see where else they could send him.

Has anyone else had to deal with aggressive behaviour in the care home setting and does anyone know what sort of facility they are likely to move him to?
I am scared that they will shut him away on his own somewhere. His blindness is like a prison, please don't tell me we still shut dementia sufferers away.

 

[jeany123]

Hello Sue there doesn't seem to be many people on here tonight but I am sure that someone will be able to advise you in the morning,

Best wishes Jeany x


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[Pottypeg]

My dad also has dementia and is blind, he isn't aggressive but he is very vocal and shouts and wails, I think this is as you do because he doesn't know if anyone is around, sudden noises or someone touching him without speaking first causes him to shout, thinking of you

Anne

 

[FifiMo]

Hiya Sue,

There are numerous options or directions you might want to explore for your dad. I think it is good that the CH are being honest about their ability to care for him and hope they will work with you to find the best care for his needs.

The types of questions I would start with are...

What do you think is the priority in terns of dad's care needs now? Is it his blindness that needs more specialist care and would this help the dementia perhaps?

Would it help if he had a one to one carer? If so, would the care home (a) let him stay there if this was achievable and (b) would they support you in applying for funding for this.

Has anyone spoken to the RNIB for advice about dad's care? Is there local support available that you could contact to discuss his care needs?

Is his aggression something that can be dealt with by use of medication? Would it be appropriate for him to have a period of assessment at a local hospital? Noting that moving him unless absolutely necessary will cause him to be distressed as his anxiety increases when he does not understand where he is etc.

On reading your post, I noticed that there was more mention about him being blind in terms of his aggression than there is about his dementia. For this reason I am wondering whether he would be much better off in a care home that specialises in people who are blind rather than one that deals with dementia. This might be worth exploring.

Fiona

 

[Sue321]

Thankyou all for your kind words. I haven't much chance to get on here for a while as my son in law had a seizure and I have been helping my daughter to cope with this sudden turn of events in her life.
As for Dad, he attacked one of the carers again last week, giving her a black eye. The care home are having Dad assessed for continuing nursing care which seems to be linked with whether or not he is transferred to another care home.
I don't understand the link here, I thought the continuing nursing care was a funding avenue but it appears that it is required if he is to be moved to a nursing home specialising in dementia.

I have been asked to look for a care home which specialises in nursing dementia but I am finding the website carehome.co.uk difficult to negotiate and I am hoping that the doctor will give me a list of such homes.
Strangely, the care home my Mother is in says it specialises in this but because my Dad can walk he would not be accepted, presumably because they could not keep an eye on him as easily as someone in a wheelchair. Not sure what happens if they all say this!
They say that one to one care would not be helpful as his outbursts occur out of the blue and he would need someone 24hrs a day. How can any home provide this constant care?
Where next I wonder...........
This is a strange road we are walking, with no signposts, many hazards and scary overhanging trees. Feeling a little lost and alone right now!

 

[FifiMo]

Sue,

I think you will find that the CHC assessment is related to funding but in the context of any additional care or a more specialised care home being able to buy in the additional care knowing they will receive payment to cover this. So, if for example the healthcare folks do their assessment and they decide that your dad needs one to one attention in order to protect staff and other residents and they agree to CHC funding then the home would get the extra cost of providing this.

One minor thing you can do is go to your profile on here and add in your dad's general location, just in case anyone on here knows of a home in the area that might be suitable. They can then PM you with the details.

You should ask the care home to give you a copy of your dad's care plan and make sure they have updated this. It might help you to show any potential home the care plan so they understand what they would be taking on.

If the home want him out quickly then maybe the best thing to ask about is whether he should be taken to hospital for assessment and not just pass him on to someone else if they haven't even tried to stabilise him with medication. It is not fair on your dad for them to just move him on like pass the parcel. That is just asking for trouble if he never knows where he is or the people around him.

Fiona