Hello all, I'm really new to all this, but have felt compelled to join the forum to gain as much help and learn from other experiences as possible. My Dad has dementia, something that my wife and my brother and his wife have suspected since last christmas - unable to converse coherently, in and out of the conversation, staring at the TV for hours, chain smoking and letting the lit end drop to the carpet, dressing out of character, not shavong or washing sometimes....I'm sure it's familiar territory.
Mum refused to accept that there may be something wrong at first. Dad is a double amputee, and began to refuse to wear his legs, he became quickly disorientated and developed a water infection, ocassionally being doubly incontinent. Mum let him sleep on the couch until one day she couldn't cope any more. I got her to agree to the doctor to visit, she was no fool and had him admitted to hospital immediately. That was late April and he's now in the discharge unit, under assessment. We've noticed a declined in his conversation each time we visit. He's become rowdy in the evening, and often sings. but he's not offensive at all. We've all found it hard that this man was clean, had a routine, able to go down to the pub for a couple, socialise, has now reduced to a incomprehensible frustrated inactive being. Heart breaking and very distressing.
The social worker - agressive and assuming, making promises to get things done, but never quite gets there! Nursing Staff have been gentle and caring although they've let him lose his reading glasses, and his top set of teeth were left by a sink in apot for most of one day....He's completely doubly incontinent, the Occ Therapist is caring and she is concerned that he is going to be too much for Mum when he is discharged home - as per the outset, it would be simpler for the hospital to let him go to a home, but Mum aint having that.
Sorry it's lengthy - pouring my heart out
steve
Mum refused to accept that there may be something wrong at first. Dad is a double amputee, and began to refuse to wear his legs, he became quickly disorientated and developed a water infection, ocassionally being doubly incontinent. Mum let him sleep on the couch until one day she couldn't cope any more. I got her to agree to the doctor to visit, she was no fool and had him admitted to hospital immediately. That was late April and he's now in the discharge unit, under assessment. We've noticed a declined in his conversation each time we visit. He's become rowdy in the evening, and often sings. but he's not offensive at all. We've all found it hard that this man was clean, had a routine, able to go down to the pub for a couple, socialise, has now reduced to a incomprehensible frustrated inactive being. Heart breaking and very distressing.
The social worker - agressive and assuming, making promises to get things done, but never quite gets there! Nursing Staff have been gentle and caring although they've let him lose his reading glasses, and his top set of teeth were left by a sink in apot for most of one day....He's completely doubly incontinent, the Occ Therapist is caring and she is concerned that he is going to be too much for Mum when he is discharged home - as per the outset, it would be simpler for the hospital to let him go to a home, but Mum aint having that.
Sorry it's lengthy - pouring my heart out
steve