Thoughts - news and research on dementia care

[mojo1943]

Dementia patients most at risk from bad hospital care

Zero sense of humor about this title in today's daily telegraph - sadly I'm not surprised.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/1...ents-most-at-risk-from-bad-hospital-care.html

In any teaching situation attitudes are always caught not taught.

Tomorrow is promised to no one - Clint Eastwood in Absolute Power.

 

[Wildflower]

Yesterdays gone sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine.

 

[mojo1943]

Another good line from a good song

One day at a time - & very apt for carers at any time....mrs mojo & I each spent 20 odd (very at times) years in Health Care both International & NHS.

BTW just got notification that mrs mojo will get Attendance Allowance & back dated - - all thanks to Macmillan expert help in form filling & that will the subject for another post.

Sadly its too tempting not to pull the right levers at the right time to get results.

Biggest debate post 2015 will be

Can we continue to afford the NHS? (in its present form)

 

[garnuft]

We will always afford the NHS. What we won't be able to afford is bankers, free-wheelers, child benefit, non mean-tested winter fuel allowance, free tv licences, home owners who want to leave a legacy...

 

[mojo1943]

Hi garn

agree free broken sick wheelers & bad bankers (= most) but its now a numbers game with an expanding elderly population and it seems we are busy exporting our best jobs.

Trinkets for votes eg free telly for the blind & over 75 & winter fuel cash are minute parts of the huge NHS budget.

Even in the new Russian Federation one can buy & sell property but thats still a problem in North Korea & no idea about China's property market.
BTW its a very good idea to buy anything that keeps getting more expensive = houses at present.

If we all go over the cliff the lucky ones will be demented as they wont know or care.

 

[Fed Up]

Hi Mojo its an interesting question as I don't think the NHS can survive in its present form for much longer. Too many people and an ageing population are amongst the problems that beset society today. It seems to be that we have an expectation of care that we as a society can't afford anymore. Too few contribute and with high unemployment the NHS is a luxury that cannot be sustained for much longer.
Sad but although retired we regard medical insurance as a necessity for the trivial stuff that is sometimes painful, often inconvient but it is worth it. The consultants remember your name, treatment is quick and the hospital clean (here at any rate), our local hospital is under special measurers, its truly awful a MASH unit but dirtier. Not a caring place the staff don't have time to care- part of the problem is underfunding. A solution might be to manage it like the local private one- cut down clerical staff and leave the drs to doctor and nurses to nurse. Manage resources to reduce q's by carrying out treatment 7 days a week and lastly bring back matron.
In time I think a brave polition will spell it out we have to go down the route of private insurance and only expect the NHS to treat major trauma and very serious illnesses. I am of the view that I would not wish to be kept alive without quality of life, and yes a one way ticket to Zurich might be an answer. But of course life is precious and whilst their is life there is hope and my hope is that either the cause of these diseases is id'd to genetically engineer a vaccine or medically effect a cure and that our generation is the final one to live with the fear of developing such an awful illness.

 

[colcol]

ive recently been diagnosed

Hi everyone iam new and confused some what.my doctor reffered me to mental health team as my memory was getting bad is asking to see my mother who died 15 years ago leaving the gas on with no flame for 90 minutes . they came round to access me my mmse score was 27 and my ace-r score 72/100 they strongly suppect I have dementia but I am waiting on a MRI scan other things have started to happen to me I've started wondering and escaping out of the house twice I got out of the front door and was stopped by my partner from escaping out the bedroom windows any one got some advice please would be very grateful

 

[mojo1943]

Hi Col
Im sure all viewers are sad n sorry to read your first post = like me with prostrate cancer you have just joined the club nobody ever wanted to join.

Well you have done the right thing in joining this excellent, helpful Forum.
My advice is to find out all your options and then get your personal affairs sorted ASAP.

Give Power of Attorney (Eternity = Freudian slip if ever there was one) to those who can help you in the future IF things get worse.

Next or much better don't wait - Do it Now - start with your partner getting all the Fiscal & Practical help you now need = Attendance Allowance and register with carers direct as care Always starts Before the diagnosis.

BTW soon I will post where the web links for all the above but it will be after 1/1/2014 for sure.
Best Wishes to you & your Partner
mo43

 

[mojo1943]

Hi Fed

Sad to read your well reasoned post about your NHS - we were very lucky in N Devon when our new NDDH was sized & opened in 1978 as it was sized on the Summer population - now 2013/4 its very over stretched in all Departments = ? is it progress?

Hidden Agendas abound in all circles especially Political ones - trick is to define them, publish and then debate answers to real ?'s

Big Pharma will only fund research budgets into ailments that have rich suffers and have results that can also be easily patented - to be fair that's due to the very scary costs involved.
mo43

 

[colcol]

Hi Fed

Sad to read your well reasoned post about your NHS - we were very lucky in N Devon when our new NDDH was sized & opened in 1978 as it was sized on the Summer population - now 2013/4 its very over stretched in all Departments = ? is it progress?

Hidden Agendas abound in all circles especially Political ones - trick is to define them, publish and then debate answers to real ?'s

Big Pharma will only fund research budgets into ailments that have rich suffers and have results that can also be easily patented - to be fair that's due to the very scary costs involved.
mo43

thank you for your reply I've just been appointed admiral nurses to help my partner and myself we are starting the process now for lpa to give my partner total control . I also have not long recovered from renal cancer and now this but never mind gonna stay possative as alwys

 

[mojo1943]

Hi Col

Got your PM and will reply to your PM (didnt have time when I opened the link) - my advice - especially as you have had Cancer is to contact Macmillan help n advice via your local CAB

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

http://www.dbh.nhs.uk/Macmillan_Welfare_Benefits_Advisers.aspx

So far my only practical advice & help has been from and by Macmillan - the rest are really concerned - with the best intentions? - to get their hands on the £3 vouchers I now have for Jan thru March.

As I understand only sitters are available from the £3 an hour service - where as I need practical help with domestic house cleaning - and Im told by them what a bargain Im getting as the real cost is from £15 to £20 an hour - for sitters.......

BTW Rated People http://www.ratedpeople.com/ couldn't get one of their 12 people who were contacted by them for my domestic house cleaning job = too busy???

Just makes me wonder who besides the relevant agency is trousers (ing) the odd £15 or so? for I expect retired middle aged and class sitters
mo43

 

[mojo1943]

Government Gateway Portal and County for help Advice Care links

Hi

A very Happy 2014 to us all

Sadly reading a few posts makes one realize how badly so many viewers and posters suffer so much more than the few luckier ones.

The following links are crucial to your locating where to get some government and council assistance, for Devon substitute your own county.

http://www.directory.devon.gov.uk/kb5/devon/directory/home.page


http://www.gateway.gov.uk/

mo43

 

[mojo1943]

Admiral Nursing Links for Help

Rates are mostly for 2011 so £49 has gone up to ? £53 now in 2014

http://www.dementiauk.org/what-we-do/admiral-nursing- direct/financial/#Attendance_allowance

BTW if on 2 people live in a house & one has dementia looks like that's a 25% reduction..

A checklist for carers of people with Dementia:
Have you had a Carers Needs Assessment?
Are you registered with your GP as a carer?
Have you and the person you care for had a benefits assessment to ascertain you are receiving all the support you are entitled to?
Has the person you care for had a community care assessment?
Have you discussed and begun the process of writing wills and implementing a Lasting Power of Attorney?
Has someone given you information on what dementia is and how it will affect the person you care for?

 

[copsham]

Vascular dementia with a difference

My mother was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia in Oct 2012, 15 months ago. She was in a terrible state doubly incontinent, little speech, refusing food, little memory long or short term, wanting to be in bed 24/7 . It felt to me that she was in the final stages and refusing food was her willing herself to die. Cutting a long story short, following trying to care for at home, she went in to a nursing home and over a long period of time she has improved. She is very settled and has good quality care and little by little she is improving. She is up for about 7 hours a day, has got her ability to walk back, eating well, appreciates the staff etc. Her memory is almost as bad as ever but she is certainly very content. She enjoys trips out but forgets them as soon as she is back. This progress is at odds with everything that is written about dementia, but then there must be exceptions I suppose.

 

[mojo1943]

Hi Cops

a wonderful post - gives hope to all viewers = and perhaps something to think about - to the very well paid medics, with their magical pensions, that contentedly say (with concern).....

Sorry no treatment - go home to your GP

Just proves what concerned practical care and treatment by a superb NH and or concerned carers can achieve.

Keep on Dancing & don't get caught
mo43

 

[mojo1943]

make your own Digital Dementia Scrap Book

Hi

an easy way to keep note of really useful posts is to copy (highlight & then right click then paste) them into an open - say a MS Word Doc.

Pity is the date & poster details are not copied - that needs an extra copy / paste.

 

[jeany123]

Hi

an easy way to keep note of really useful posts is to copy (highlight & then right click then paste) them into an open - say a MS Word Doc.

Pity is the date & poster details are not copied - that needs an extra copy / paste.

not here

 

[mojo1943]

aeterial fibulation AF as a pre cursor to VaD?

Hi

If any viewers have links or experience with the title - Please post - as I am trying to collect information for a private paper.

 

[Wildflower]

Hi Mojo, My dad has atrial fibrillation and AD, but no VaD as far as I know.

 

[mojo1943]

Hi Wild

How long before ur Father was diagnosed with AD did he suffer from AF? & what treatment was prescribed ? age