My mum has just been accepted into a care home. She went for a taster day and she was very difficult for the staff to the point that they weren’t sure if they could take her. Thankfully I spoke about this to our elderly mental health nurse who prescribed a very low dose of lorazepam to help with her anxiety and fear. On her next visit she was calm and happy. Her lovely personality traits could be seen by the staff and the residents. I feel so sad that I didn’t know about this drug for the last 6 years when her daily agitation could have been cured so easily. I know some people are very against tranquilisers because they are seen as subduing people to make life easier for themselves. I probably would at one time been in agreement with that opinion. Now, however, I realise that whatever it takes to get rid of fear, anxiety and agitation is actually kinder and more humane to the person suffering any form of dementia. Their quality of life I think should be dictated by how peaceful they feel rather than our concept of the freedom to express their personality without interference. My mum has now been accepted into a lovely home. However I am fretting over how we actually initially leave her there. I was thinking that perhaps if she is left for a week or two without seeing me or my father, she might have to adjust, as harsh as that sounds, and then may accept our visits without associating us with her former home. I would be grateful for any feedback on this please. We are in the dark as sadly there’s no manual to guide us.
