Safety concerns

[Chrissy232]

Hi didn't know what else to do.
My mum has had Dementia for 3 years but has over the last few months been deteriorating dramatically.
She loves a cuppa as we all do and has been doing some pretty odd things. E.g. putting 17 tea bags into the tea pot as well as the milk then putting tea bags in the cup as well which doesn't seem too bad until today when my son called me as I was leaving work to tell me the kettle wasn't working. I obviously went through the normal checks is it plugged in switched on etc which it was so he left it until I got back. When I got there I tried what my mum had and what my son had still not working properly however when I heard a strange hissing noise after pressing the button and it turning itself off I lifted the lid and discovered a metal spoon inside the kettle. Jesus I thought she could've caused a fire electricuted herself anything could've happened. How can I get around this as this is clearly a safeguarding issue. How do I get around this please help

 

[Lindy50]

Hi @Chrissy232 and welcome to TP

This is a difficult one! From what you've said, I'm wondering whether your mum is safe making a cup of tea? Also does she cook in any way, even using a microwave or similar? Does she need to use other electric things? You'll have a good idea of the answers, but to get an objective view and some ideas, you could ask your local adult services department (sometimes known as adult social care) for an occupational therapy assessment.

I also wonder whether your mum has had a needs assessment? Do you have any help with her care? If not, it seems that now may be the time to ask....

All the best

Lindy xx

 

[nae sporran]

Hullo and welcome to TP, Chrissy. That is very worrying for you and asking for an urgent care assessment would be my first move. Tell Social Services what is happening and say your mum is a vulnerable adult. I'm not sure if a spoon inside the kettle would necessarily have caused a major problem, though a fire safety assessment, the fire brigade do those free, and trip switches on the electric meter would also be worth looking at.

 

[Chrissy232]

Hi Lindy50

Fortunately she doesn't use her cooker or microwave anymore as my brother and I cook all her meals and she can't remember how to work the washing machine which again we do.

I think she had a care needs assessment done back in August but she wasn't doing half these things then.

I've recently got her into a day care centre a couple of times a week and thought perhaps this behaviour might be something to do with that.

I've been trying to sort it a proper care plan for her for months but my brother has been a real obstacle as he holds the funding for it but I really think after this he can't not do something now as It's becoming dangerous

 

[Chrissy232]

Hi I think an urgent review of her care needs are necessary as she only had one done back in August.
Luckily I have fire safety checks done regularly as I'm clearing through many years of halding and my worry was if something like this occurred she'd have some sort of a chance. The spoon trying to be boiled totally burnt the heating element and was smoking I think if it hadn't of cut out I daren't to think what could've happened. Living in an old fashioned house I think the trip switches on the meter would be a good idea.
Thanks

 

[Sirena]

My mother had similar problems, I think it's a common progression of the disease. You need to remove or disable the items which are causing the safety issue, so in your case remove the kettle and hide it so she can't use it unless supervised. If she is alone for the part of the day you could make her some tea in a thermos and leave that for her (although getting her to remember there is tea in the thermos will be a mission in itself). Also ensure she cannot use the cooker in case she attempts to boil water that way instead.

My mother set fire to the grill after leaving a crumpet under it, the fire alarm went off and a neighbour had to intervene. After that, the carers disabled the gas cooker so it could only be used when they were there.

A visit from Occupational Therapy would be helpful to check out any other sources of potential danger.