I've been reading other posts and after an hour unscrambling yet another mistake someone else has made, I can't help thinking how much easier life would be if the professionals understood dementia. I mean really understand, not just think they understand.
Such as the GP receptionist who phoned my mum to tell her they've changed her appointment time, expecting her to remember to tell me (despite me requesting that all contact with mum is via me) resulting in me taking a day off work for nothing. The pharmacist who delivers mums medication to her rather than leave it for me to collect (thought we'd have to have her stomach pumped after that one!) and even the GP who spent a well intentioned ten minutes explaining something carefully to mum and clearly didn't realise or understand that as we walked away from the surgery, she was saying "who the hell was that?" and "what was he on about?".
If only people realise that when there's a problem or difficulty, that problem is now not in four months time when they decide to visit (unannounced) to sort it out and that every day things change. Even the memory clinic has said to me that they'll review mum in 12 months time "unless she needs further services". I've asked how they'd know if they don't see her other than once a year and they've looked at me as if I'm mad! She's nearly 88 and deteriorating rapidly so they've made an appointment for next autumn!
My mum has me to care for her, but how many people have no one to sort this kind of thng out?
Such as the GP receptionist who phoned my mum to tell her they've changed her appointment time, expecting her to remember to tell me (despite me requesting that all contact with mum is via me) resulting in me taking a day off work for nothing. The pharmacist who delivers mums medication to her rather than leave it for me to collect (thought we'd have to have her stomach pumped after that one!) and even the GP who spent a well intentioned ten minutes explaining something carefully to mum and clearly didn't realise or understand that as we walked away from the surgery, she was saying "who the hell was that?" and "what was he on about?".
If only people realise that when there's a problem or difficulty, that problem is now not in four months time when they decide to visit (unannounced) to sort it out and that every day things change. Even the memory clinic has said to me that they'll review mum in 12 months time "unless she needs further services". I've asked how they'd know if they don't see her other than once a year and they've looked at me as if I'm mad! She's nearly 88 and deteriorating rapidly so they've made an appointment for next autumn!
My mum has me to care for her, but how many people have no one to sort this kind of thng out?