Sorry, this is me trying to get ready for today's visit.
Mum's 90 and her progression is such that her care home with dementia speciality have said that they can no longer meet her needs. You see she falls a lot (about 3 times a month), she has lost the ability to communicate and doesn't always understand why what's said to her is important. She's learnt that when she stands, she falls and is scared of standing (I think). She has arthritis in one knee which has not been treated or considered but was identified by the hospital as a possible cause of the falls. The GP says that she wouldn't get any help at the Falls Clinic because she wouldn't understand or communicate. The care home think she's too high risk - every time she falls they have a form to fill in that asks whether she's been referred to the falls clinic and they have to say no. On her last fall she broke her last pair of glasses - more are on order - but she can't really see too well at the moment. She threw away her hearing aids but wasn't wearing them anyway and apparently because we paid for those they won't refer her to a hearing clinic.
She doesn't comply with personal care any more, she won't dress, is already taking anti-depressants. They've taken chairs (all but one) and tables out of her room because they are a "risk". She can't put the television on and anyway they've put her chair where she couldn't see it. There's no radio. She won't move out of the room so she sits in isolation in her own world with her "dog" and her "family" and her "children".
I know they'll try to get her to take more drugs soon to deal with the hallucinations and take that world away from her.
I've been told she needs an EMI unit - by the CH manager. That term is no longer in use - you can't search for an EMI unit, there's little about them here. Now they are all care home with dementia speciality - like **** they are. We're self-funding (an application for CHC has just been made, but we know what a lottery that is).
I'm dreading each visit - last time I watched 2 well-intentioned carers try to get her to stand up, without support so that they could clean her.
I dont' know what should happen next. Moving her? I have to take her in my car to a new place? The CH manager still hasn't signed off a new care plan for her since her last decline- discussed 10 days ago (post fall declines are regular, small bounce back, getting smaller).
Any advice please?
W
Mum's 90 and her progression is such that her care home with dementia speciality have said that they can no longer meet her needs. You see she falls a lot (about 3 times a month), she has lost the ability to communicate and doesn't always understand why what's said to her is important. She's learnt that when she stands, she falls and is scared of standing (I think). She has arthritis in one knee which has not been treated or considered but was identified by the hospital as a possible cause of the falls. The GP says that she wouldn't get any help at the Falls Clinic because she wouldn't understand or communicate. The care home think she's too high risk - every time she falls they have a form to fill in that asks whether she's been referred to the falls clinic and they have to say no. On her last fall she broke her last pair of glasses - more are on order - but she can't really see too well at the moment. She threw away her hearing aids but wasn't wearing them anyway and apparently because we paid for those they won't refer her to a hearing clinic.
She doesn't comply with personal care any more, she won't dress, is already taking anti-depressants. They've taken chairs (all but one) and tables out of her room because they are a "risk". She can't put the television on and anyway they've put her chair where she couldn't see it. There's no radio. She won't move out of the room so she sits in isolation in her own world with her "dog" and her "family" and her "children".
I know they'll try to get her to take more drugs soon to deal with the hallucinations and take that world away from her.
I've been told she needs an EMI unit - by the CH manager. That term is no longer in use - you can't search for an EMI unit, there's little about them here. Now they are all care home with dementia speciality - like **** they are. We're self-funding (an application for CHC has just been made, but we know what a lottery that is).
I'm dreading each visit - last time I watched 2 well-intentioned carers try to get her to stand up, without support so that they could clean her.
I dont' know what should happen next. Moving her? I have to take her in my car to a new place? The CH manager still hasn't signed off a new care plan for her since her last decline- discussed 10 days ago (post fall declines are regular, small bounce back, getting smaller).
Any advice please?
W