Just for me really to update my situation. I had 2 inside visits with screen between us but Mum found it hard to hear me. We then went back into Tier 4 so relative outside - door open - then screen and then relative. Mum even more confused and less able to hear but at least I get to physically see her.
The 15 min Skype call booked for Christmas Day did not happen either for me or my brother although we did get to speak to Mum at different times of the day. Mum did not mention Christmas, so neither did I and we had a nice 20 minute chat.
I managed to have a ‘happy’ conversation on Boxing Day too so I was pleased.
Mum called me by my name the other day when I spoke to her on the phone. That was about the first time in 6 months. More frequently now she thinks I am her sister even though I will call her Mum. She asks me when ‘our’ (her) Dad will be visiting and when I gently teased her and said ‘you are a Daddy’s girl’ her eyes lit up and with a big smile on her face she said ‘yes I am’. She was also asking when she would see her grandparents.
Again we will never know the added impact of lockdown but the decline is continuing. In the last 6 weeks very little of her conversations make sense. I think the staff are having to try and adjust to understand her needs. From going through her Care Plan and behaviours report with the Manager it seems she is becoming more frustrated and bored. Maybe this is my interpretation as I don’t like to think my Mum is deliberately becoming more aggressive. She is throwing objects at staff ( anything from cushions to a chair) . She is also doing a lot of wall kicking and window banging. She refuses to join in anything even the walks they have offered her round the garden (based on how much she loved walking). She seems to spend the day taking everything out of the wardrobe, sorting it and putting it back. She is also doing ‘nasty’ mimicking of staff.
I have asked the Manager if this is an issue for the staff there. Previously she has said No but this time she said they might have to get the mental health team back in to look at medication/behaviours if it get worse. Incidents are tending to happen every 3 or 4 days now. She also hit another resident who told her to go away.
fortunately no staff or the other resident have been hurt to badly just bruised.
The Manager agreed all residents had deteriorated through the lockdown (whether with dementia or not). The activities coordinator who used to ‘bounce’ around the home with bundles of energy said she was really struggling to engage any of the residents in the dementia area now.
On the other side it seems like the estate agent might have found a tenant for Mum’s house. I await further news from brother.
Residents and ‘most’ staff will be given 1st vaccination on Friday. Our area is nearly as bad as London for ‘getting’ going with them.
The 15 min Skype call booked for Christmas Day did not happen either for me or my brother although we did get to speak to Mum at different times of the day. Mum did not mention Christmas, so neither did I and we had a nice 20 minute chat.
I managed to have a ‘happy’ conversation on Boxing Day too so I was pleased.
Mum called me by my name the other day when I spoke to her on the phone. That was about the first time in 6 months. More frequently now she thinks I am her sister even though I will call her Mum. She asks me when ‘our’ (her) Dad will be visiting and when I gently teased her and said ‘you are a Daddy’s girl’ her eyes lit up and with a big smile on her face she said ‘yes I am’. She was also asking when she would see her grandparents.
Again we will never know the added impact of lockdown but the decline is continuing. In the last 6 weeks very little of her conversations make sense. I think the staff are having to try and adjust to understand her needs. From going through her Care Plan and behaviours report with the Manager it seems she is becoming more frustrated and bored. Maybe this is my interpretation as I don’t like to think my Mum is deliberately becoming more aggressive. She is throwing objects at staff ( anything from cushions to a chair) . She is also doing a lot of wall kicking and window banging. She refuses to join in anything even the walks they have offered her round the garden (based on how much she loved walking). She seems to spend the day taking everything out of the wardrobe, sorting it and putting it back. She is also doing ‘nasty’ mimicking of staff.
I have asked the Manager if this is an issue for the staff there. Previously she has said No but this time she said they might have to get the mental health team back in to look at medication/behaviours if it get worse. Incidents are tending to happen every 3 or 4 days now. She also hit another resident who told her to go away.
fortunately no staff or the other resident have been hurt to badly just bruised.
The Manager agreed all residents had deteriorated through the lockdown (whether with dementia or not). The activities coordinator who used to ‘bounce’ around the home with bundles of energy said she was really struggling to engage any of the residents in the dementia area now.
On the other side it seems like the estate agent might have found a tenant for Mum’s house. I await further news from brother.
Residents and ‘most’ staff will be given 1st vaccination on Friday. Our area is nearly as bad as London for ‘getting’ going with them.