What a problem to wrestle with! I was on a 'bone' ward last August. As it was an emergency hospital stay and quite unplanned my poor husband had to go into emergency respite. Husband has LBD and I am his sole carer so I have my own experiences of Alzheimer's disease to draw on.
On my first night in hospital an elderly lady in a bed opposite to me was suddenly woken up by a male nurse walking past her bed in the middle of the night. She was obviously frightened and confused. She cried out for the police to come as she thought she was in her own bedroom and that the male nurse was a burglar. No nurses went to her to calm her down. They ignored her completely until she became so agitated that she ripped out drips and started to throw things. They then pulled the curtain around her and peered in at her. They laughed and joked to each other about her behaviour and decided that as she was so 'violent' they had to 'leave her to get on with it' Coward that I am, and to my shame, I did not speak to them about their behaviour. As it was my first night on the ward I didn't know what the history was of the lady's previous behaviour on the ward.
The next day I watched the lady closely and by mid afternoon I went and sat wth her, stroking her hand and talking to her about beng in hospital together because of our broken bones. She began to respond to me and recognise me because I completed the same ritual each time I 'visited' her.
On the second night she started to become agitated. I slipped out of bed to stroke her hand and talk to her a little. Within minutes she had settled down and there were no more disturbances from her. She slept soundly all night.
In vew of the many staff changes (never the same staff on duty two days/nights running) I can quite see how the lack of personal knowledge of indivdual patents happens, although I do feel that the members of staff who were on duty on my first night behaved in an unprofessional and cruel manner towards and elderly and confused lady.
My husband has to go into a specialist hospital later this month to have a cancer removed from his face. I have made it quite clear to the surgeon that if he has to stay the night, then I will be sleeping in a chair next to him. I am lucky that I can make this commitment and realise that not everyone has the time or is able to do this.
Telling the staff the best way to respond to your loved one's behaviour may help. The problem is such information does not get passed on to all the staff who come into contact with the alzheimer sufferer. There may be a specialist ward in the hosptal who have experence/training. My elderly mother, although not suffering from AZ was put on just such a ward. I saw a great deal of difference in the treatment of AZ sufferers there. It is worth while asking if there is such a recovery ward in your hospital.
My very best wishes to you in your endeavours to get the best for your loved one.
xx TinaT