Mum has recently been diagnosed and I am finding it all a bit overwhelming - She is forgetting to take her medication but which automatic dispenser shall I get? They are so expensive I dont want buy one only to find she still cant manage it! She forgets what day it is and gets herself ready to go shopping every morning (I take her on a Thursday) even to the point of going outside her flat (luckily doorstep camera set to my phone so I was able to persuade her to go back inside) What gadgets do people use to help ? I have bought her a clock with days of the week on it but she doesent look at it. I am seeing her daily but would like to sort out carers for her perhaps twice a day so that I can go away - my question is she only has limited savings (approx £5000) if I organise carers for her and we use up her savings at this early stage of the diagnosis what happens if she needs respite care - who pays for that?
Over whelmed
- Thread starter Stottie
- Start date
Hi @Stottie and welcome to Talking Point.
I think having carers in a couple of times a day to sort out her medication and keep a check on her is a good idea, even if you were not going away.
Ask for a needs assessment with Social Services. As her savings are so low, if SS agrees to having the carers in you should not have to pay for them.
I think having carers in a couple of times a day to sort out her medication and keep a check on her is a good idea, even if you were not going away.
Ask for a needs assessment with Social Services. As her savings are so low, if SS agrees to having the carers in you should not have to pay for them.
Hi @Stottie and welcome to Dementia Talking Point our supportive and friendly community. As @canary has said, the level of your Mum's savings would seem to be below the level at which she would be required to make a contribution to the costs of care. As well as requesting an adult needs assessment it would be useful to have a financial assessment carried out by the local authority. Details on how to go about this will be on her council's website.
If you have Power of Attorney for finance and property you may be able to act on her behalf. If not, it may still be possible to arrange this. See this website for details:
www.gov.uk
Your mum would need to understand and agree to it. A dementia diagnosis does not necessarily prevent her from setting this up. Having Power of Attorney (both for finance & property and health & welfare) would make things easier for you to manage affairs on her behalf.
If you have Power of Attorney for finance and property you may be able to act on her behalf. If not, it may still be possible to arrange this. See this website for details:
Make, register or end a lasting power of attorney
How to make a lasting power of attorney (LPA): starting an application online, choosing an attorney, certifying a copy, changing an LPA.
Your mum would need to understand and agree to it. A dementia diagnosis does not necessarily prevent her from setting this up. Having Power of Attorney (both for finance & property and health & welfare) would make things easier for you to manage affairs on her behalf.
Don't use her money to pay for care because if that's all she has, SS will have to pay the costs. Get in touch with them for a needs assessment. They will want a financial assessment too but once they know she has no funds it should be straightforward. They will also have to pay for respite care and care home costs when the time comes. (Unless she has a house to sell.)
Hello @Stottie and welcome. Sorry to hear about your mum. There is a lot of support here, and you've received some good advice so far. Just to add to what's already been posted, social services can provide free automatic tablet dispensers if they assess that this would be helpful for your mum.
Everything can seem overwhelming after a diagnosis but this guide is really helpful in terms of practical information about where to get help and support and also financial information including what benefits your mum might be eligible for and also the lasting power of attorney process:
caring_for_a_person_with_dementia_
This information sheet explains the local authority assessment process (in England - if your mum lives elsewhere let us know and further details can be posted):
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/legal-financial/needs-assessment
Everything can seem overwhelming after a diagnosis but this guide is really helpful in terms of practical information about where to get help and support and also financial information including what benefits your mum might be eligible for and also the lasting power of attorney process:
caring_for_a_person_with_dementia_
This information sheet explains the local authority assessment process (in England - if your mum lives elsewhere let us know and further details can be posted):
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/legal-financial/needs-assessment
Hi Stottie and a warm welcome from me too.
You were asking about useful technology so I wonder if this site would help.
www.meetadam.co.uk
The only thing I would say that there comes a time when no aids however simple work. A person with dementia can't learn new things easily as you are finding with the clock you bought your mother. I bought my mum a very simple talking clock as her eyesight was bad. At the time I thought her muddles over arriving far too early for things was her mis-reading her large kitchen clock. That wasn't the problem, mum had forgotten some basic concepts to do with time. She also thought I'd been patronising giving her something so 'childish'. Mum also had a total meltdown over a dossette box that was arranged for her. So much so that the GP and I decided stopping all her medication, which fortunately was non-critical, was the best thing to do. Shortly afterwards mum went into care and the medication was re-instated.
You were asking about useful technology so I wonder if this site would help.
Adam
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I am so sorry to hear about your mum @Stottie - we have found a photo schedule helpful with reminding dad what was happening, who was coming and who people are. I use them in my work so thought it might be helpful in Dad's earlier stages and it was! It's basically made from a piece of card with the days of the week on - photos of the people who are coming over or activities he is doing are velcroed on to the relevant day. We have an arrow that mum moves along to show him what day he is on. It's basic and totally non-technological... but has been helpful!
I would agree with the others above - a care assessment from social care will help you identify the care your mum can receive - they have ideas for tech devices too and will often provide them too. Attendance Allowance is also well worth getting - helping to cover some care costs.
I would agree with the others above - a care assessment from social care will help you identify the care your mum can receive - they have ideas for tech devices too and will often provide them too. Attendance Allowance is also well worth getting - helping to cover some care costs.
I found a wipeable magnetic white board with coloured magnetic pens stuck on the fridge useful for a while in giving reminders about people and events, and also a change to a Doro phone from a more complex mobile phone. Days of the week pill boxes also. These all worked for a while, but as others have said, eventually skills go - and in the end my mother was unable to learn or retain any new or existing info and she’s now in a home. We just kept trying things to see if they worked. Some of them did help, and my advice would be to keep it simple and not spend money on ‘clever’ expensive dementia commercial products!