Polish Great-Grandmother suffering from Dementia

christopher1985

Registered User
Jan 21, 2007
1
0
Brisbane, Australia
Hi Everyone, my name is Christopher, i'm 21 and I live in Brisbane Australia. My Grandmother has been in Poland 9 Months now nursing her Mother who suffers from Dementia. I hpone my Grandmother daily to see how she is coping looking after her Mother and it seems the situation is getting worse day by day. Her Mother has become aggressive towards her, thinks the Germans are still in Poland and are coming to kill them, tells my grandmother not to touch the telephone or anything else in the house as it belongs to other people. She thinks that Australia has blown up and that we are all dead, and when she hears my voice on the telephone, I ask her if she understands and she says yes then starts crying, my grandmother says she cries alot for no real reason. The sad thing is that there is no care for people in Poland, there are no aged-care facilities and the hospitals don't take people just because they suffer from Dementia. If my Grandmother left Poland my Great-Grandmother would surely die as no one else can handle looking after her. I get really worried for my Grandmother and her mother sleeps so little and keeps her up through the night, an aunt from Poland wrote us a letter recentely saying that she is concerned for my Grandmother, the situation is draining her so much and her health is suffering. My Grandmother cant leave her Mother, its such a terrible predigament to be in. The Doctors wont give any Dementia medication, there is just no funding for it, all they have given are Drops of Haloperidol which dont seem to be doing much. I'm a Medical Student in Australia and have managed to send my Grandmother Mirtazapine (Remeron) to help my Great-Grandmother sleep and eat better, she has been on it for about a week now and its not really doing much, its not helping the depressioin from the dementia, or her sleep though she eats a little more.

What stage is my Great-Grandmother at? Will she live much longer with this illness? She is 87. My Grandmother is at her wits end and doesn't know what to do, she is finding it so hard to cope and she has been there so long looking after her Mother with no support. I'm worried what its doing to my Grandmothers health looking after her Mother, she cant leave her and she wont, she is so loyal to her Mother and would do anything for her family. People that live in Australia, England, United States really are so lucky, compared to people that live in Poland, the care they get is amazing. Poland offers nothing to its people.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
Hi Christopher, You are so right. We complain about dementia care in the UK but have no idea of the suffering in countries like Poland.
I am of Russian descent, so if my great-grandparents hadn`t come to the UK, I might have found myself in a similar position.
The saying `I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.` comes to mind.
I really can`t tell you what stage your great-grandmother has reached. There are so many different stages, in so many different causes, of dementia. A lot also depends on how strong she is physically.
I hope your grandmother is getting help from the rest of her family. I wish her well.
Regards, Sylvia
 

Tender Face

Account Closed
Mar 14, 2006
5,379
0
NW England
Gosh Christopher ... talk about making me 'stop and think' ......

So sorry to hear about your great-grandmother. Whilst you say your grandmother has no support I am sure she must be immensely proud of you and your concern ... which must help her enormously........ if you can do no more than make a daily phone call it is far more than many young people do for their elderly family from whatever distance. Well done.

Wish there was something more helpful to add.... other than having found this site, hope you can gain something to help yourself ...

With love, Karen, x
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
I am no doctor , but if does sound like she in moderate to severe cases of the disease in later-stage patients



Her Mother has become aggressive towards her, thinks the Germans are still in Poland and are coming to kill them, tells my grandmother not to touch the telephone or anything else in the house as it belongs to other people. She thinks that Australia has blown up and that we are all dead, and when she hears my voice on the telephone, I ask her if she understands and she says yes then starts crying, my grandmother says she cries alot for no real reason


My mother was at that stage when they gave her medication called memantine for moderate to severe cases of the disease in later-stage patients .
My mother also was
aggressive towards me , thought Franco, who rule Spain in the 30s was alive and he would take your husband away with out notice to fight a war against Gibraltar, also he would take your homes away , take children from they family (which he really did ). as I read up on the History of Spain in those days my mother had been brought up

she was also Double Incontinent , but with that medication is Now not , still knows me and her surounding what year is it , can get it wrong , but knows its 2000 something , 5 years on now medication is still working for her I Believe if she had not taken that medication she would be bed ridden now from what I have read on TP bed ridden last stage can go on for years, Depending on the care they get with any other medical condition they may have.

ask if she is bed ridden & Double Incontinent , just to give yourself a ruff guide.

PS



I hope I do not sound cold hearted just realistic , but if she has other medicinal condition that her country government does not provide free of charge , beside her condition of dementia , she may die of that , then die from dementia.

I do not know how the government system works in Poland if say you have diabetic or a bad heart EST, in giving people medication free for that ?
 
Last edited:

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Not sure if this is of any help , but I found this

http://www.alzheimer-europe.org/index.php?lm3=8917389101D1

Today people with dementia and their relatives have their own centres across Poland, in which they can get information, support and friends. Some of the local associations also run day-care centres and offer therapy. Most of them cooperate with local authorities and the media. But although each organisation is different and works in different conditions, there is a common goal which we all are committed to i.e. helping people with dementia cope better with their daily lives and overcome difficulties.

http://www.alzheimer-europe.org/index.php?lm4=38DD267F10E9

http://www.alzheimer.pl/
 
Last edited: