Hi everyone. I think this has been covered in a way, but I've not seen anything that properly advises on my situation.
My partner has mixed dementia. The vascular part has affected short term memory, so his dementia looks more advanced than it really ought to be (if that makes sense). He's 90 and in March fell and broke his hip. This has meant that he can no longer get up the stairs and now has a bed in the lounge.
When he first came out of hospital he was unsettled as I'd had to change the rooms downstairs round to give him walking access with a frame, so he still often asks when we are going home.
My big problem though, is that now he is partially mobile he often wakes up in the night and because I am asleep upstairs, he comes to the bottom of the stairs and shouts me. Sometimes this happens three or four times in a night and takes at least 30 minutes to put him back to bed. It wouldn't be a problem in the main, other than I still work part time in the week, Monday to Friday 8:30-12:30. This means I often have less than five hours sleep, and that in one or two hour sections.
I've tried putting up signs around the house to say where I am and not to disturb me. That worked a little at first, but now doesn't. Last night, I changed it to a letter style sign. One that starts with his name. The situation is getting so bad, I am seriously thinking of packing up work. It's a good respite for me though, as his constant demands can become very annoying.
I wondered if anyone else has experienced this kind of situation, and what kind of solutions they had come up with. I don't want to give up work if I can help it, but at this point it's looking like the only option that is going to let me rest.
My partner has mixed dementia. The vascular part has affected short term memory, so his dementia looks more advanced than it really ought to be (if that makes sense). He's 90 and in March fell and broke his hip. This has meant that he can no longer get up the stairs and now has a bed in the lounge.
When he first came out of hospital he was unsettled as I'd had to change the rooms downstairs round to give him walking access with a frame, so he still often asks when we are going home.
My big problem though, is that now he is partially mobile he often wakes up in the night and because I am asleep upstairs, he comes to the bottom of the stairs and shouts me. Sometimes this happens three or four times in a night and takes at least 30 minutes to put him back to bed. It wouldn't be a problem in the main, other than I still work part time in the week, Monday to Friday 8:30-12:30. This means I often have less than five hours sleep, and that in one or two hour sections.
I've tried putting up signs around the house to say where I am and not to disturb me. That worked a little at first, but now doesn't. Last night, I changed it to a letter style sign. One that starts with his name. The situation is getting so bad, I am seriously thinking of packing up work. It's a good respite for me though, as his constant demands can become very annoying.
I wondered if anyone else has experienced this kind of situation, and what kind of solutions they had come up with. I don't want to give up work if I can help it, but at this point it's looking like the only option that is going to let me rest.
