Care Home

[astra]

It is now ei

 

[astra]

It is now eight months since oh went into care home.She readily went in without any problems but has deteriorated ...no longer talks very much and she had a fall middle of December 2015 and fractured her hip which resulted a stay in hospital for seven days. Her walking is not very good even with the help of the very caring staff in the care home. Also over the time she has been in the home she has lost a considerable amount of weight although the staff do the best to try to get her to eat at all meals. I wonder if this is a phase other patients go through? I still visit nearly every day but I am not sure wether she recognises me or not but as long as I get a smile and a kiss or two I feel very happy

 

[fizzie]

Do the care home have 'activities' in the broadest sense of facilitating communication - perhaps small group activities, outings etc? If she is just sitting in a room all day with others with dementia and not being stimulated her speech will go downhill much more quickly than if she is in a stimulating environment.

The weight loss situation is worrying - normally they monitor it closely and add supplements if people are losing weight - rapid weight loss can lead to falls as can UTIs.

Others will have more experience but as people have said before everyone is very different and as long as the care home is a stimulating, happy and enriching environment and she is being weight monitored with some supplements I'm guessing it is a natural slip into older age.

 

[notsogooddtr]

It's a bit if a chicken and the egg question:are they deteriorating because they are in a care home or are they in a care home because they are deteriorating.My Dad barely speaks now and has lost weight.My gut feeling is that it's because his condition is very advanced.Carers tell me he will sometimes join in a song or laugh with them but often is sleeping.They do monitor his weight and he is on supplements because he will often refuse to eat.I'm not sure if I think supplements are a great idea but I assume he will reach the point were he won't take these either.You seem to have confidence in the carers which is good,speak to them about you concerns.

 

[pamann]

Hello Astra, alot of the elderly ladies in my husband's care home do not eat much, they have lost alot of weight, its seems to be normal, 3mof the ladies have fallen a broken their hips, they are not eating anything, they just drink milk, and supplements in it. Hope your wife improves with time,

 

[Aisling]

It is now eight months since oh went into care home.She readily went in without any problems but has deteriorated ...no longer talks very much and she had a fall middle of December 2015 and fractured her hip which resulted a stay in hospital for seven days. Her walking is not very good even with the help of the very caring staff in the care home. Also over the time she has been in the home she has lost a considerable amount of weight although the staff do the best to try to get her to eat at all meals. I wonder if this is a phase other patients go through? I still visit nearly every day but I am not sure wether she recognises me or not but as long as I get a smile and a kiss or two I feel very happy

Talk to the staff. Am sure that they are doing everything they can. Weight loss is worrying.

Aisling ( Ireland)

 

[astra]

Thank you all for your replies it is interesting to see there is a similar pattern amongst the people in care homes

 

[Wigan]

The problem in a lot of care homes, is that simply, carers do not notice the deterioration in our loved ones. Maybe because they see them every day or almost every day they don't notice the changes. If someone sleeps a lot or, loses their appetite it won't often raise alarms even though we may know this is not "normal" for them.

I have seen so many residents deteriorate and sometimes it is due to underlying illness, boredom, under stimulation, dehydration and the list goes on and on. If you are concerned, you should ask questions and not just accept their reply that it is normal progression of the illness as sometimes it isn't.

Remember, nobody knows our loved ones better than us.

 

[canary]

I should think that the broken hip has a great deal to answer for.
Pain, shock, inflammation, general anesthetic, stays in hospital ........ All of these are know to progress dementia. My MIL went down rapidly after a fall and fractured spine even though she was discharged back to her home.

Dont forget that dementia is a progressive disease and, whatever you do, there is going to be progression.