Hi everyone,
I have been assigned a new client who has mixed dementia and Alzheimer's. It was my first visit with her this morning and I didn't know what to expect with her because my agency posted me a note which tells me that the client wanders outside her home and can have very changeable moods but not violent.
I turned up at her home today and rang her front doorbell. There was no answer so I then used the letterbox. My client then came from the side door and asked me why I was there. I told her I'm from the agency to help look after her and she told me she didn't know why I was there and didn't know what I was talking about. The caregiver who was mentoring me then came out and explained to her why I was there. Which is to cover the days she cannot do.
The client kept saying she didn't need looking after and had lived in her home by herself for 40 years. She doesn't remember her husband, thinks her mum is still among us and her daughters moved out but hardly come over to visit her and help out.
I couldn't help but feel offended because this is the first time any of my dementia clients has said they don't need anyone to help them. This client then said she didn't think she'd like me coming to her home and going through her stuff (when the caregiver I was shadowing told her she was going to show me where the recycling goes)
She also wanders at night and sometimes the caregivers have found her halfway down her road in just her cardigan (nothing underneath) and her skirt. She bangs on her neighbours' doors for things like butter when she herself has run out.
Her daughters do visit on the odd occasion but once one of them said she would get the client some butter and didn't give her the butter til 3 days later. The other caregiver has said the client's daughters have a "can't be bothered" attitude with her which doesn't help us as caregivers.
This client is not fully compliant with her medication and will only take the smaller tablets, the others she throws down the toilet. I had a client like this before and despite my prompting and encouraging her to take them she refused to take her medication and ended up in hospital with pneumonia and intestinal obstruction (two of the medications she refused to take were laxatives)
When I was asking the other caregiver some questions the new client said she didn't like us talking about her behind her back and that it wasn't very nice.
I was told that the new client I'm with is lovely but I'm guessing because I'm new to her she became agitated. Is it highly likely that in time she will adapt and warm to me? Seems like that is ages away at the moment and I've only just met her today for the first time!
I have been assigned a new client who has mixed dementia and Alzheimer's. It was my first visit with her this morning and I didn't know what to expect with her because my agency posted me a note which tells me that the client wanders outside her home and can have very changeable moods but not violent.
I turned up at her home today and rang her front doorbell. There was no answer so I then used the letterbox. My client then came from the side door and asked me why I was there. I told her I'm from the agency to help look after her and she told me she didn't know why I was there and didn't know what I was talking about. The caregiver who was mentoring me then came out and explained to her why I was there. Which is to cover the days she cannot do.
The client kept saying she didn't need looking after and had lived in her home by herself for 40 years. She doesn't remember her husband, thinks her mum is still among us and her daughters moved out but hardly come over to visit her and help out.
I couldn't help but feel offended because this is the first time any of my dementia clients has said they don't need anyone to help them. This client then said she didn't think she'd like me coming to her home and going through her stuff (when the caregiver I was shadowing told her she was going to show me where the recycling goes)
She also wanders at night and sometimes the caregivers have found her halfway down her road in just her cardigan (nothing underneath) and her skirt. She bangs on her neighbours' doors for things like butter when she herself has run out.
Her daughters do visit on the odd occasion but once one of them said she would get the client some butter and didn't give her the butter til 3 days later. The other caregiver has said the client's daughters have a "can't be bothered" attitude with her which doesn't help us as caregivers.
This client is not fully compliant with her medication and will only take the smaller tablets, the others she throws down the toilet. I had a client like this before and despite my prompting and encouraging her to take them she refused to take her medication and ended up in hospital with pneumonia and intestinal obstruction (two of the medications she refused to take were laxatives)
When I was asking the other caregiver some questions the new client said she didn't like us talking about her behind her back and that it wasn't very nice.
I was told that the new client I'm with is lovely but I'm guessing because I'm new to her she became agitated. Is it highly likely that in time she will adapt and warm to me? Seems like that is ages away at the moment and I've only just met her today for the first time!
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