Hello, I haven't posted for quite a long time now. However, things have changed quite a lot, some good, some not so good as is the case for most of us.
My Mum was diagnosed with early LBD at the beginning of this year but refused to accept the reality of her deteriorating mental health and lifestyle. She wasn't taking care of herself or keeping herself or her house clean.
About 8 weeks ago, she finally agreed to a care package consisting of a morning and evening visit to assist with her personal care and ensure that she was eating and taking her medication. The carer started on the Monday evening but when she arrived the following morning, she found my Mum on the floor, called the ambulance who took Mum to hospital and she is still there now!!
During this stay in hospital Mum has also had a hip replacement operation which seems to have taken well and is giving her greater freedom of movement and removed the constant pain that she was in before.
The OT brought her back to her house and asked me to meet them there so that they could assess the risks and suggest ways to help her when she was able to come back home. However, Mum hadn't been in the house more than two minutes when she announced that she didn't want to come back and wanted to go into a Nursing Home.
I have been extremely happy with the help and support that I have received from Mum's CPN. She has been great at keeping me informed of the situation and has helped me with the different decisions that have had to be made.
Mum has now been assessed, banded and her case has gone before the Adult Mental Health panel. We have chosen a Nursing Home and they will assess Mum soon and let us know if they can accomodate her.
I have been advised that I should discuss with Mum about getting Power of Attorney as this will make things much simpler over the coming months. She has times when she is quite clear and lucid, but these are far outweighed by the times when she is paranoid, convinced that the nurses are trying to poison her and telling me to leave quickly before "they" catch me and take me away!!!
All of the posts that I have read on this site and the factsheets that are available have been great in helping me cope with Mum's worsening mental state. I try not to allow it to upset me as much as it used to. I try to stick to being reassuring and supportive to her although it is hard sometimes. I still wish I could have my old Mum back but accept that this is never going to happen.
If I am to talk to my Mum about Power of Attorney, is it something that she can do herself or do you need a solicitor? I will try to look into this and discuss it with her when I next visit.
I am hopeful that things will be better when I can get her moved out of hospital and into the nursing home.
Apologies for going on and on, but it is very helpful just to put down in words all of the things that have gone on over the last few months. I have spent so much time driving back and forwards round the M25 between my home and Mum. I owe a great debt to my husband and friends who have covered for me a great deal by picking children up from school and cooking dinners in my absence. It truly is at times of hardship that you really do know who your friends are.
My Mum was diagnosed with early LBD at the beginning of this year but refused to accept the reality of her deteriorating mental health and lifestyle. She wasn't taking care of herself or keeping herself or her house clean.
About 8 weeks ago, she finally agreed to a care package consisting of a morning and evening visit to assist with her personal care and ensure that she was eating and taking her medication. The carer started on the Monday evening but when she arrived the following morning, she found my Mum on the floor, called the ambulance who took Mum to hospital and she is still there now!!
During this stay in hospital Mum has also had a hip replacement operation which seems to have taken well and is giving her greater freedom of movement and removed the constant pain that she was in before.
The OT brought her back to her house and asked me to meet them there so that they could assess the risks and suggest ways to help her when she was able to come back home. However, Mum hadn't been in the house more than two minutes when she announced that she didn't want to come back and wanted to go into a Nursing Home.
I have been extremely happy with the help and support that I have received from Mum's CPN. She has been great at keeping me informed of the situation and has helped me with the different decisions that have had to be made.
Mum has now been assessed, banded and her case has gone before the Adult Mental Health panel. We have chosen a Nursing Home and they will assess Mum soon and let us know if they can accomodate her.
I have been advised that I should discuss with Mum about getting Power of Attorney as this will make things much simpler over the coming months. She has times when she is quite clear and lucid, but these are far outweighed by the times when she is paranoid, convinced that the nurses are trying to poison her and telling me to leave quickly before "they" catch me and take me away!!!
All of the posts that I have read on this site and the factsheets that are available have been great in helping me cope with Mum's worsening mental state. I try not to allow it to upset me as much as it used to. I try to stick to being reassuring and supportive to her although it is hard sometimes. I still wish I could have my old Mum back but accept that this is never going to happen.
If I am to talk to my Mum about Power of Attorney, is it something that she can do herself or do you need a solicitor? I will try to look into this and discuss it with her when I next visit.
I am hopeful that things will be better when I can get her moved out of hospital and into the nursing home.
Apologies for going on and on, but it is very helpful just to put down in words all of the things that have gone on over the last few months. I have spent so much time driving back and forwards round the M25 between my home and Mum. I owe a great debt to my husband and friends who have covered for me a great deal by picking children up from school and cooking dinners in my absence. It truly is at times of hardship that you really do know who your friends are.
