Strategies for dealing with screaming at night

champagne_femme

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
1
0
Hello. This is my first post so I'm sorry if these questions have been asked before. My mum has Alzheimer's and is now in bed and refusing to eat or drink very much. She now has a live in carer who is lovely and caring for her very well. However mum has started to shout out very loudly, both during the day and at night. The shouting has now become so loud that the neighbours are concerned that mum is OK. However we have established that she isn't in pain in any way but just seems to be shouting because she can. Are there any strategies for dealing with this sort of behaviour - we have been suggested milky drinks at night, leaving the light on, keeping her more active during the day so that she sleeps more soundly at night etc. but with little effect. I am worried that if the shouting becomes a real problem for the neighbours mum will have to go into a specialist dementia unit. Going into a home is against her wishes and I am resisting this if at all possible. Someone suggested sedation, but mum is now refusing to take any medication so it's difficult to know how we would administer this is prescribed. Any ideas or thoughts anyone can suggest would be gratefully received. Thank you!
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
A few years ago my next door neighbour in Spain had this problem with her MIL. The whole family was affected and miserable and despite all taking their share of caring the lady had to go into care as an extreme case.
 

joggyb

Registered User
Dec 1, 2014
119
0
Some medication can be put in food/drinks. I know my father's care home has to get GP permission to do this, but I don't know if the same applies to a carer looking after someone at home. Ask your GP if you think that medication could possibly help?
 

Mannie

Registered User
Mar 13, 2014
116
0
Bracknell area
Hello. This is my first post so I'm sorry if these questions have been asked before. My mum has Alzheimer's and is now in bed and refusing to eat or drink very much. She now has a live in carer who is lovely and caring for her very well. However mum has started to shout out very loudly, both during the day and at night. The shouting has now become so loud that the neighbours are concerned that mum is OK. However we have established that she isn't in pain in any way but just seems to be shouting because she can. Are there any strategies for dealing with this sort of behaviour - we have been suggested milky drinks at night, leaving the light on, keeping her more active during the day so that she sleeps more soundly at night etc. but with little effect. I am worried that if the shouting becomes a real problem for the neighbours mum will have to go into a specialist dementia unit. Going into a home is against her wishes and I am resisting this if at all possible. Someone suggested sedation, but mum is now refusing to take any medication so it's difficult to know how we would administer this is prescribed. Any ideas or thoughts anyone can suggest would be gratefully received. Thank you!

I would think that if not done already then you must visit her GP. They will try the soft approach at the start but suggest to keep on returning to the GP when it does not work.
You can also ask her community psychiatric nurse for advice and they could liaise with the GP

I have read that many of these behaviours are a phase which might give you some hope.

I feel sure that in specialist dementia units they must administer medicines for this type of behaviour so it seems fair to me that she could get the same to allow her to continue to live in her own home which is what she has requested. There will be side effects of medicines such as increasing the likelihood of falls.
 

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