Hi. I was wondering if anyone has experience of caring for someone who fights with the carers on a daily basis when they are trying to dress and wash him.
My husband and I look after my father-in-law who is totally bed bound with Parkinson's and dementia (probably Lewy body dementia).
We have carers in 3 times a day for about 30 mins each visit to clean and dress him. He has a contracture of his right hand meaning that it is tightly balled into a fist and he has trouble relaxing the fingers to allow any sort of hand care. (He's had botox to relax the muscles and has a carrot splint. His fingers can uncurl quite a bit when he isn't fighting!) When the carers try to wash and dry his hands he fights them off and tries to bite them. When they try to put on his t-shirt or apply deodorant under his arms or change his external catheter it is a similar story. It's becoming harder and harder for the carers to do their jobs.
We try singing with him, pet therapy, paracetamol if we think his hand is hurting but nothing seems to work.
I realise I probably need to speak to his GP but it seems to be impossible to get through at the moment. Wondering if anyone had any advice they could give which would tide us over until I can get hold of the GP.
Thank you!
My husband and I look after my father-in-law who is totally bed bound with Parkinson's and dementia (probably Lewy body dementia).
We have carers in 3 times a day for about 30 mins each visit to clean and dress him. He has a contracture of his right hand meaning that it is tightly balled into a fist and he has trouble relaxing the fingers to allow any sort of hand care. (He's had botox to relax the muscles and has a carrot splint. His fingers can uncurl quite a bit when he isn't fighting!) When the carers try to wash and dry his hands he fights them off and tries to bite them. When they try to put on his t-shirt or apply deodorant under his arms or change his external catheter it is a similar story. It's becoming harder and harder for the carers to do their jobs.
We try singing with him, pet therapy, paracetamol if we think his hand is hurting but nothing seems to work.
I realise I probably need to speak to his GP but it seems to be impossible to get through at the moment. Wondering if anyone had any advice they could give which would tide us over until I can get hold of the GP.
Thank you!