Damage caused by Nana in Care Home

[sussexsue]

Sue, i certainly took on board too the fact that MIL is concerned about the possibility of reprisals. But, if the situation is not handled properly now, unfair demands may continue, and then MIL may be at further risk of abuse simply by acceding to the bully. Fear escalates then.

I agree with you 100%, but unfortunately it is not the opening posters decision to make, and it seems like MIL has made her mind up. I guess that truth is that many people, especially when vulnerable and being responsible for someone else, just dont have the strength to stand up to CH Manager bullies like this.

 

[PamD]

I recall a company asking me if I could locate a PA for them. I said sure I know a lot of purchasing agents, no no no, they wanted a Programmer Analyst.
DLM

And here it would be most likely to be a "Personal Assistant", which in turn can be either a high-power/pretentious secretary, or a carer for a disabled person who helps them to live their normal life (eg student who needs help getting to lectures, note-taking, etc - seems to be used most in that sort of context).

And the AA is a motoring organisation, too! I'll add the US sense of it to our abbreviations list.

Pam

 

[DLM]

Hi
The difference over here is that the health system will provide drugs for most with AD disease providing they have a MMSE (Memory test) score of less than 20 and more than 10 after which the drugs are thought to not be working. If someone is diagnosed with just VasD then they are (generally) not provided with drugs.

Crafted a reply early this AM, hit the wrong key, oooops it was gone

To get a prescription here is a PCP (Personal Care Physician) or other to write the prescription. I don't know of any required memory test. In fact if a PCP bills for a appointment and it is rejected they often re-submit using a different set of billing codes and get insurance approval.

Getting a probable diagnosis for AD (short of post-Mort) You visit your PCP. That is it. If you want a closer diagnosis you arrange to get some added MRI or CTScan testing (if you want) and probably see a neurologist with some AD experience who doesn't pass LO off as depressed. The CYA approach would be to bring in a PhD Psychologist to admin a range of memory test. Then the Psych reports the results to the Neurologist who hands you a starter pack of Aricept, says it is most likely XYZ Dementia and a pamphlet of information. Then you are on your own to ask for help and options.

We are fortunate to have several experts on the Alzheimer's board in US who are also Care-givers. They provide wonderful reviews of studies and analysis of pharmaceutical claims. They will frequently discuss how long drugs are useful. They will say, IMHO, there is no way to determine the end point. If you stop to soon you won't be able to go back to that point if LO goes down hill. So stopping is at best an educated guess.

These same experts are wonderful. They discuss the dangers of misdiagnosis and which meds actually do more harm than good based on the wrong diagnosis. There is a lot of discussion of off label uses of meds, and non-prescription herbs etc.

There is no peer review, but the debates and the references to data and trials is most informative if you are research minded.

One of the sites I use to get information is:
"Carer Dandyfunk Expert Reliable Advice for Caregivers from reputable sources"
http://dandyfunk2.blogspot.com/
Here are hundreds of links to third party sites published by caregivers' Organizations and Associations | Government Local, State, Federal, International as well as: Medical Centers, Hospitals, Schools and University's

It is a Carer blog by a carer {me}

Time to pour meds for my wife. 10:27 EDT

DLM

 

[Onlyme]

Over here this is the way it went for us. Mum had memory issues, eventualy the Dr referred her to the Memory clinic and a consultant. They wrote back and wanted a scan before they saw her. She had to wait 3 months for the scan, another 2 months and Mum saw a memory nurse who gave Mum the memory test. We had another 3 month wait before Mum saw a consultant who told her she had mixed AD and dementia and gave her a prescription.

From Dr to request to medication took 8 months. She is reviewed every 6 months and if the drugs are no longer working they will be stopped. There are only 4 types of medication licenced over here and 2 are unsuitable for Mum so we are on type 3 at the moment and hoping it keeps working.

 

[kjaneh]

If you cave in and pay what next? He pulling a fast one trying to get you to pay the exesses on the policy, that's out of order. The home should have been aware she was out of the room. if she had hurt herself would he still been demanding money? I'd give the care comission a call as well.

 

[DLM]

Over here this is the way it went for us.

From Dr to request to medication took 8 months. She is reviewed every 6 months and if the drugs are no longer working they will be stopped. There are only 4 types of medication licenced over here and 2 are unsuitable for Mum so we are on type 3 at the moment and hoping it keeps working.

8 months that is terrible IMHO.

What are the three meds ?

Are there an trial programs to test new meds?

 

[Jancis]

The staff had mentioned that they thought Nana had been hallucinating before this incident.

Hi Ozzylou,
I'm absolutely astounded by what has happened to your MIL. If she was hallucinating anything could have happened. What is the home doing about her safety and "insuring" nothing like this happens again. If your Nana had hurt herself or worse would they still be trying to get you to pay for the sodding TV? I think not.

 

[Onlyme]

8 months was very good for our area. I did ring and make a fuss to speed things up.

The four drugs are Aricept (Donepezil), Exelon (Rivastigmine) Reminyl (Galantamine) and Ebixa (Memantine)

Here is the fact sheet which includes some information on drug trails.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=147

 

[geum123]

Hi Ossylou,
I wonder if you were to print out all of these comments that you've had,
your family may reconsider paying?
I hope so.

Sorry I meant that hopefully the comments on this thread may persuade them that they shouldn't pay.

 

[Onlyme]

If you cave in and pay what next? He pulling a fast one trying to get you to pay the exesses on the policy, that's out of order. The home should have been aware she was out of the room. if she had hurt herself would he still been demanding money? I'd give the care comission a call as well.

If you do I would send a letter saying that this payment is a one off goodwill payment and that you have serious worries about why the origina TV was not secured so this situation never arose in the first place.

 

[ozzylou]

Hello everyone,
Having read all your comments and knowing that I feel so angry about paying over this money for TV, I have spoken to MIL and she has agreed to hold off sending the cheque result. I am going to write a letter, quite a long one I think, covering much of what has been discussed and suggested but particularly stressing the safety issues of residents and of course the staff looking after them, but also recommend that he no longer resorts to 'blackmailing people who already feel vulnerable and anxious because they have had to make the difficult decision to place their loved one in a care home, a decision I know is never taken lightly. Take care everyone and once again thanks for your support. Lou

 

[Grannie G]

Thank goodness Lou. I thought you were going to pay.
Good luck and please post an update.

 

[Jancis]

I am so pleased. I didn't say before but I felt that the staff who were being so nice were perhaps also blackmailed - to keep you sweet. Good luck and let us know what happens.

 

[JPG1]

Good decision, Lou, and well done, MIL!

I hope it works well for you all.

Do please let us know how it all turns out.

 

[sussexsue]

Hello everyone,
Having read all your comments and knowing that I feel so angry about paying over this money for TV, I have spoken to MIL and she has agreed to hold off sending the cheque result.

I have just read this - made my day and good luck.

 

[Meercat]

Good luck and well worth doing if not only for your relative but for all future incidents by other residents in the home

 

[AlsoConfused]

Hear, hear!

 

[sanford99]

Thank goodness you are not going to pay!!
The simple fact is that the home has been negligent and put your nan and other residents at risk. In a specialist dementia unit the ability to 'trash' a common room tv simply shouldn't happen. The manager is being bullying and threatening and deserves to be reported to the Care Quality Commission and let them get involved with your complaint.

enquiries@cqc.org.uk

Sorry if someone else has also provided that info - but I missed out some of the replies as running out of time.

 

[susana53]

I spoke to the manager of a care home that I work in and told her about this situation. She said that she would be horrified if that had happened in her home and it would definitely be her responsibility, not the residents.