Care home night settling

Pattywicklow

Registered User
Mar 15, 2015
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0
What do care homes do with unsettled patients at night? Am at wits end, have waited for months for a home which will meet mums emotional wellbeing needs and they say they feel her variable night settling, usually settling by mid night ....she isn't violent doesn't swear doesn't lash out, just calls out repeatedly. where do these people go? It is an artefact of the disease. It breaks my heart and shames me to write this but do I need to give th permission to sedate her at night. Am at wits end I don't have a plan B. Any suggestions?


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Witzend

Registered User
Aug 29, 2007
4,283
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SW London
I would have thought a home used to dementia would not, and should not, be fazed or bothered by this. My mother was in her specialist dementia home for nearly 8 years and for many of those she went through frequent phases of wandering about half the night. Nobody ever said it was a problem or suggested sedating her. One of the night staff would perhaps chat with her or make her a cup of tea, etc.

However I can see that a home that also, or mostly, takes non-dementia residents, might find it more of a problem.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
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South coast
Yes, I second witzend. My mum also is a wanderer and is still up half the night packing, getting dressed and wandering about. Her CH doesnt worry either and in her case it is also a dedicated dementia unit. I think the problem comes with CHs that are not exclusively for people with dementia - the carers are not trained specifically in dementia care and do not usually know how to deal with these sort of problems.
 

Liz57

Registered User
Dec 22, 2013
184
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What do care homes do with unsettled patients at night? Am at wits end, have waited for months for a home which will meet mums emotional wellbeing needs and they say they feel her variable night settling, usually settling by mid night ....she isn't violent doesn't swear doesn't lash out, just calls out repeatedly. where do these people go? It is an artefact of the disease. It breaks my heart and shames me to write this but do I need to give th permission to sedate her at night. Am at wits end I don't have a plan B. Any suggestions?


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Funnily enough I was chatting to staff at mum's care home about this today. She's not a wanderer and the home is sufficiently well designed that it doesn't wake her but lots of residents do have trouble settling. It doesn't seem to bother the staff. They chat, serve up cups of hot chocolate or tea as required, provide snacks or turn on the tv with the sound on low and eventually people do drift off. The routine seems to be one of acknowledging the needs of each resident and keeping things calm and as settled as possible. They didn't seem to think anything was in any way "odd".

Talk to the care home staff and find out how they feel but in my experience, it's part and parcel of what they do!
 

Witzend

Registered User
Aug 29, 2007
4,283
0
SW London
Funnily enough I was chatting to staff at mum's care home about this today. She's not a wanderer and the home is sufficiently well designed that it doesn't wake her but lots of residents do have trouble settling. It doesn't seem to bother the staff. They chat, serve up cups of hot chocolate or tea as required, provide snacks or turn on the tv with the sound on low and eventually people do drift off. The routine seems to be one of acknowledging the needs of each resident and keeping things calm and as settled as possible. They didn't seem to think anything was in any way "odd".

Talk to the care home staff and find out how they feel but in my experience, it's part and parcel of what they do!

After all, a care home is supposed to be someone's home, and at home you are entitled to wander about at night if you feel like it! I do it enough anyway - often can't sleep - heaven knows what I'll be like if I go the same way as my mother...
 

Time trader

Registered User
Dec 30, 2014
17
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What do care homes do with unsettled patients at night? Am at wits end, have waited for months for a home which will meet mums emotional wellbeing needs and they say they feel her variable night settling, usually settling by mid night ....she isn't violent doesn't swear doesn't lash out, just calls out repeatedly. where do these people go? It is an artefact of the disease. It breaks my heart and shames me to write this but do I need to give th permission to sedate her at night. Am at wits end I don't have a plan B. Any suggestions?


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Firstly, do not feel ashamed in writing your questions and concerns. You evidently care deeply for your mum and recognise that residential care is her best option. Her Gp would need to be approached regarding any sedation - the home could not just give it to her without a prescription.
This might sound a bit odd but have you considered giving mum a teddy or rag doll to look after? it's possible that she could relate to it and it may calm her during the night by providing something for her "to care for" and to cuddle to sleep.
Good luck and best wishes
 

Pattywicklow

Registered User
Mar 15, 2015
11
0
Bless you all for coming back. If she wandered might be less difficult - she calls out repeatedly and very very very loudly "nurse help me" it's like she's on a loop, it is exhausting and she can't be distracted or consoled. I discovered today the hospital have had her on zopeclone? To sedate on the evenings.... Not sure it's helped, No one mentioned that but there was a post on here mentioning trazadone which I might mention to them ... We've been sent back to hospital twice in 24 hours as she has a chest infection vvvvvv difficult . The home are saying they don't think they'd need sedation but I need them to keep her so am willing to consider anything Thanks for reading x


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