Hi Everyone,
I first posted on here late last year and everyone was so helpful with advice re my aunt who has early dementia. I just wanted to really update on what has happened since then, and as usual, ask for some comments.
Long story short ... she was in hospital for six weeks before Christmas after falling, she fell several times in the hospital and then she was sent home with a care package of carers going in 4 times a day. We lasted through Xmas (just) with a combination of visits, a brother taking her for a few days over Xmas (not too successful) and more visits. The carers were really good but she kept falling and then ended up in hospital for another six weeks after fracturing her shoulder and then falling again a few days afterwards.
Now she is temporarily in a small residential home which is further for everyone to travel (I live an hour away from her anyway and this place is a wee bit further) but it's really nice and she seems to be getting used to it. My mum and I went and got her sorted out with clothes as we couldn't find any in her house - she has gone from a size 18/20 to a size 10/12!
Saw her last weekend and had a lovely afternoon with her. I have learned from these boards to appreciate these times of being able to do something "normal" with her. We took her for a walk and a cuppa. It was great except for one thing ... during our conversation in the cafe it was apparent that she didn't really know who I was and she asked about me - if I had left school yet (I'm 35!). My aunt and I kind of laughed our way through it because I felt I had to tell her I was the person she was asking about but it was a bit heartbreaking. Since last year I see a huge decline both physically and mentally. However, I couldn't have got through it all without reading the messages of support and questions from everyone on this website.
Now to my question - she is wandering a lot at night at the home - going into other people's rooms and on some occasions, trying to get into bed with them. They have changed her drugs and take her for walks every day to try and settle her down. Will this phase pass? Is this sundowing, which I have seen mentioned here before?
She seems to like the small home but we as a family are concerned that this might not be a long term solution as the home implied heavily that they couldn't cope with her at night.
On a more long term issue, we have to broach the subject of her having the council house she lives in cleared. How do we do this as recently she thinks of home as the place she lived in over 20 years ago. I feel she is getting to a point of being unable to make decisions but I couldn't just go ahead and do things without speaking to her. (We are on the enduring POA route so that side of things is OK as we managed to get her to agree to that a few months ago).
Any comments appreciated.
All the best,
Linda
I first posted on here late last year and everyone was so helpful with advice re my aunt who has early dementia. I just wanted to really update on what has happened since then, and as usual, ask for some comments.
Long story short ... she was in hospital for six weeks before Christmas after falling, she fell several times in the hospital and then she was sent home with a care package of carers going in 4 times a day. We lasted through Xmas (just) with a combination of visits, a brother taking her for a few days over Xmas (not too successful) and more visits. The carers were really good but she kept falling and then ended up in hospital for another six weeks after fracturing her shoulder and then falling again a few days afterwards.
Now she is temporarily in a small residential home which is further for everyone to travel (I live an hour away from her anyway and this place is a wee bit further) but it's really nice and she seems to be getting used to it. My mum and I went and got her sorted out with clothes as we couldn't find any in her house - she has gone from a size 18/20 to a size 10/12!
Saw her last weekend and had a lovely afternoon with her. I have learned from these boards to appreciate these times of being able to do something "normal" with her. We took her for a walk and a cuppa. It was great except for one thing ... during our conversation in the cafe it was apparent that she didn't really know who I was and she asked about me - if I had left school yet (I'm 35!). My aunt and I kind of laughed our way through it because I felt I had to tell her I was the person she was asking about but it was a bit heartbreaking. Since last year I see a huge decline both physically and mentally. However, I couldn't have got through it all without reading the messages of support and questions from everyone on this website.
Now to my question - she is wandering a lot at night at the home - going into other people's rooms and on some occasions, trying to get into bed with them. They have changed her drugs and take her for walks every day to try and settle her down. Will this phase pass? Is this sundowing, which I have seen mentioned here before?
She seems to like the small home but we as a family are concerned that this might not be a long term solution as the home implied heavily that they couldn't cope with her at night.
On a more long term issue, we have to broach the subject of her having the council house she lives in cleared. How do we do this as recently she thinks of home as the place she lived in over 20 years ago. I feel she is getting to a point of being unable to make decisions but I couldn't just go ahead and do things without speaking to her. (We are on the enduring POA route so that side of things is OK as we managed to get her to agree to that a few months ago).
Any comments appreciated.
All the best,
Linda