Mum is 88 years old, lives alone and has moderate alzheimers and has decided with her aches and pains that she should stay in bed all day. She is very wheezy and chesty which, after misdiagnosis of asthma for 2 years, has now been diagnosed with blocked arteries to the heart. She is very sleepy and has bad nights. My brother sees her for breakfast and meds every morning, I go in lunchtime and evening and care for her during the day, give meds, change linen etc. Over the past few weeks mum has insisted more on staying in bed and not wanting to wash hair, or shower. She is incontinent, bowels and doesn't like wearing pads and even when I check she takes them off. Lately I've found she won't get out of bed so I can check to see if stained bedlinen, she is very ashamed if I managed to find linen dirty. Today though I found linen dirty and also, I found that she had managed to turn the sheet over, put marked bit to the bottom of the bed so she was sleeping on a clean section. I just don't know how she manages to remake the bed as the mattress is so heavy too. She won't have a cover on the bed to help save sheets either. Can anyone tell me how I can encourage mum to shower or bath and wash her hair? She really does not want me to be doing her personal care and certainly will never let a carer in.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks