A few things really troubling me and I'd appreciate any ideas.
Mum lives alone. She has mid-stage Alz and VaD. In the early stages she resisted having a personal/fall alarm. After 2 years, she was persuaded. But she refuses to wear it and sometimes I find it hidden/misplaced. Her house is large and no helpful neighbours who would notice if anything was wrong.
The pharmacy deliver her meds to her home. She doesn't remember to take them and also I have found them hidden/misplaced. At times she has taken too many or too few. She doesn't have the dexterity to use an alarm box so now I go to her house every day to give them to her.
She has a vitamin B12 deficiency. The pharmacy delivered the meds to her home. She had no idea what they were for and it was only by chance that I found them and removed them before they were misused or lost.
The pharmacy and the Dr surgery have told me this is 'procedure' and they have 'thousands of patients'. They won't keep the meds there. I have to take her for a series of injections. They don't class her as 'housebound' as she has me to take her to the surgery.
She has forgotten how to use a telephone. She often doesn't answer as she is hard of hearing but refuses to have a hearing aid. There are many occasions now when I call - receive no answer and find her in the garden, or watching TV with no idea that the phone has been ringing.
Her diet is very restricted. It consists of a community meal delivered 4 days a week which she often gives to the dog - and tomato sandwiches and chocolate biscuits. I buy her a variety of foods but she seems to have forgotten that anything other than roast dinners or tomatoes are foods. ( When I take her out for lunch she eats well.)
I used to make home-cooked meals for her but she forgot that they were in the freezer, then couldn't use the microwave, now doesn't want to heat them up any other way.
She has a weight obsession. She weighed 71/2 stones until recently. Docs have said she needs to gain weight but she worries about losing her figure. She is 86.
She has no other carer but me. Social services assessed that she was fine with support. I'm worried that she isn't safe. I'm also worried that I can't keep up the pace of care I need to give, and that it isn't enough.
I'm lucky that I'm a supply teacher. I have had to refuse work in order to care for her but I can't do this after the summer break.
Any ideas, comments gratefully received. Thanks.
Mum lives alone. She has mid-stage Alz and VaD. In the early stages she resisted having a personal/fall alarm. After 2 years, she was persuaded. But she refuses to wear it and sometimes I find it hidden/misplaced. Her house is large and no helpful neighbours who would notice if anything was wrong.
The pharmacy deliver her meds to her home. She doesn't remember to take them and also I have found them hidden/misplaced. At times she has taken too many or too few. She doesn't have the dexterity to use an alarm box so now I go to her house every day to give them to her.
She has a vitamin B12 deficiency. The pharmacy delivered the meds to her home. She had no idea what they were for and it was only by chance that I found them and removed them before they were misused or lost.
The pharmacy and the Dr surgery have told me this is 'procedure' and they have 'thousands of patients'. They won't keep the meds there. I have to take her for a series of injections. They don't class her as 'housebound' as she has me to take her to the surgery.
She has forgotten how to use a telephone. She often doesn't answer as she is hard of hearing but refuses to have a hearing aid. There are many occasions now when I call - receive no answer and find her in the garden, or watching TV with no idea that the phone has been ringing.
Her diet is very restricted. It consists of a community meal delivered 4 days a week which she often gives to the dog - and tomato sandwiches and chocolate biscuits. I buy her a variety of foods but she seems to have forgotten that anything other than roast dinners or tomatoes are foods. ( When I take her out for lunch she eats well.)
I used to make home-cooked meals for her but she forgot that they were in the freezer, then couldn't use the microwave, now doesn't want to heat them up any other way.
She has a weight obsession. She weighed 71/2 stones until recently. Docs have said she needs to gain weight but she worries about losing her figure. She is 86.
She has no other carer but me. Social services assessed that she was fine with support. I'm worried that she isn't safe. I'm also worried that I can't keep up the pace of care I need to give, and that it isn't enough.
I'm lucky that I'm a supply teacher. I have had to refuse work in order to care for her but I can't do this after the summer break.
Any ideas, comments gratefully received. Thanks.