I just wondered if anyone has faced this, and can offer any tips for dealing with it, please.
Mil moved into an EMI Nursing home just over two weeks ago and (very early days, I know) can't really be said to have settled. Those of you who have perhaps read the So Bizarre thread, know that challenging behaviour has been a feature of Mils awful dementia journey, and that its got worse as time has gone on. Verbal aggressiveness has been there for a long time, and it was because that developed into her becomming physically aggressive that we had to finally give in and agree to residential care for her. She had been in an asessment unit in the local hospital since April, and in the last couple of months, there have been an increasing number of instances of her slapping, hitting, pushing and throwing things at other patients and staff there. She has occasionally managed to injure herself in the past, usually bruising and skin tears from banging at doors and windows - but the injuries have been accidental, she hasn't set out to hurt herself.
In the last week, however, she has started to dig her nails in and gouge at her arms, resulting in some really nasty bruises and some deep skin tears. I've spoken to the staff - they are very aware of this, are monitoring it and have told us that she is very deliberately doing this to herself 'in temper', usually whilst sundowning (which has worsened in terms of it lasting for longer periods snce she has been there) and wanting to go home. When she has been agitated when we have visited, the staff are really quick to intervene and try and distract her, to be fair, they are very on the ball - but she is very resisitant to any sort of distraction - she always has been. Dressings are removed by Mil pretty much as soon as they are put on, and long sleeves don't seem to have any effect - she is digging her nails in so hard that she is still managing to break the skin even through material. The last couple of times she has done it, she had (again, very deliberately) re-opened 2 really bad tears on her left arm, making them bigger and deeper each time. She has also made several comments about how she wants to die and how she would like to kill herself - and again, this is new behaviour since she has been in the home.
We are hoping that she will settle and that this behaviour will eventually stop - but in the meantime, there is a big worry about infection, particularly as she is diabetic. We visited yesterday and her left arm was just a mess - crusted blood and the wounds have obviously been deepened and enlarged since Wednesday, when I had seen her last.
Has anyone encountered this and can they please offer any suggestions or advice about how to best deal with it?. The staff tell us that if they try asking her stop, she is stubborn enough to just do it all the more - and as I said, long sleeves and dressings have not worked.
Thanks xxxx
Mil moved into an EMI Nursing home just over two weeks ago and (very early days, I know) can't really be said to have settled. Those of you who have perhaps read the So Bizarre thread, know that challenging behaviour has been a feature of Mils awful dementia journey, and that its got worse as time has gone on. Verbal aggressiveness has been there for a long time, and it was because that developed into her becomming physically aggressive that we had to finally give in and agree to residential care for her. She had been in an asessment unit in the local hospital since April, and in the last couple of months, there have been an increasing number of instances of her slapping, hitting, pushing and throwing things at other patients and staff there. She has occasionally managed to injure herself in the past, usually bruising and skin tears from banging at doors and windows - but the injuries have been accidental, she hasn't set out to hurt herself.
In the last week, however, she has started to dig her nails in and gouge at her arms, resulting in some really nasty bruises and some deep skin tears. I've spoken to the staff - they are very aware of this, are monitoring it and have told us that she is very deliberately doing this to herself 'in temper', usually whilst sundowning (which has worsened in terms of it lasting for longer periods snce she has been there) and wanting to go home. When she has been agitated when we have visited, the staff are really quick to intervene and try and distract her, to be fair, they are very on the ball - but she is very resisitant to any sort of distraction - she always has been. Dressings are removed by Mil pretty much as soon as they are put on, and long sleeves don't seem to have any effect - she is digging her nails in so hard that she is still managing to break the skin even through material. The last couple of times she has done it, she had (again, very deliberately) re-opened 2 really bad tears on her left arm, making them bigger and deeper each time. She has also made several comments about how she wants to die and how she would like to kill herself - and again, this is new behaviour since she has been in the home.
We are hoping that she will settle and that this behaviour will eventually stop - but in the meantime, there is a big worry about infection, particularly as she is diabetic. We visited yesterday and her left arm was just a mess - crusted blood and the wounds have obviously been deepened and enlarged since Wednesday, when I had seen her last.
Has anyone encountered this and can they please offer any suggestions or advice about how to best deal with it?. The staff tell us that if they try asking her stop, she is stubborn enough to just do it all the more - and as I said, long sleeves and dressings have not worked.
Thanks xxxx