Hi All
Sunday was terrible!
We had to get the on-call doc out to get a GP referal so that we could get nan in hospital and properly assessed quicker. Gramps had to go back to London with my uncle that day and we were just so bothered at how it may affect her, she doesnt always know who gramps is, but at the end of the day she speaks about him all the time and he is security for her at nightime - so we felt we had to do something.
The on call doctor took hours to arrive, when he finally did and tried to assess nan, she wasnt having any of it. She wouldnt co-operate at all as she insisted there was nothing at all wrong with her. I was spokesperson, and had to sit there and tell the GP the kind of things she had been doing - my nan was furious! She had no idea who I was, but insisted that I was a lier and that she was going to report me to the police - at one point she came right up in my face pointing her finger so close, I thought she was gonna poke my eye out! I felt terrible and did get a little tearful as she said the most horrible things to me and my mum - I know its the disease talking, but its just so hard not to get upset at times.
Nan also got very aggressive with the doctor, when he told her he would like her to go to hospital to have some tests done she flatly refused, he managed to talk her round by telling her she would be able to prove to us that nothing was wrong if she went - she agreed then.
The doctor arranged for an ambulance to come and pick her up - which I thought would be straight away - I was then told by the doctor that it could be anytime between 1 & 3 hours!
GREAT! I thought, by the time the ambulance comes, nan will have forgotten the whole fiasco and we will have to repeat the whole terrible thing when the ambulance men come - which we did!
For some reason though, when nan is asked questions by doctors etc - she immediately turns on me as the culprit every time now? She must remember me when shes angry? Not as her grandaughter obviousley, Im now the 'bitch' (1st time nan has ever swore in her life!) thats trying to kill her, get rid of her to steal her husband and have her put away. I only need to leave the room for about 5 mins after the confrontation has finished, and when I go back in she smiles and tells me how lovely I look ......bless her.
Anyway, we managed to get her into the ambulance because for a split second she thought I was her sister - so I quickly played the role and told her she could trust me and I would go with her for a ride, the ambulance man told her he was giving her a ride home.......I felt so guilty.
It had been a terribly stressfull day, all the confrontations with nan had mentally exhausted me and it had been a long day, by the time we got to the hospital it was 11.20pm!
The ward we were taken to was a ward especially for over 65's suffering Dementia. Nan happily strolled down the corridor saying how nice the colours were, then we got to the ward.
A nurse came to let us in and the ambulance men left.
My mum and I stood there looking at eachother in panic. The ward smelled strongly of urine - it was sickening. The floors were dirty and the poor folk wandering around like lost sheep seemed far more advanced in their illness' than my nan was.
A young nurse came over and showed us into a room to wait for the consultant. There was food all over the floor and the wallpaper had been ripped off the wall in big patches. My mum was in a state of panic and upset, saying 'I cant leave her here, Its horrible, I cant leave her here!'
I had to agree, it was the most disgusting hospital ward I had ever seen in my life, I was trying to calm my mum down, but I too was getting upset.
In the end I just couldnt contain myself any longer and I broke down (the stench of the place was making feel sick) I asked if there were any other wards - but was told that it was the only ward in our borough for my nans dementia. I apologised to the nurse and told her we were taking nan home.
Nan was oblivious to what was going on and started to thank mum and I for giving her such a lovely day and how kind we are to her...........I think I cried for about 2 hrs.......the feelings of guilt were so bad.
The day after, nan was fine and hadnt really noticed gramps wasnt there, we just said he'd be back soon and it was fine. I managed to arrange an appointment through one of the mental health team (Peter) to see the on-call psychiatrist the next day. He had read the notes about Sundays goings on and was very understanding, he agreed that the ward wasnt nice and suggested my mum and I write to our local MP to complain.
Nan did as we had thought that night, and had mum my brother and my sister up till 4am - going into their bedrooms and ripping the sheets back to see if gramps was there - she was even outside in the garden calling for him, aswell as eating the dog/cat biscuits and feeding the animals food frozen solid out the freezer.
We were grateful that we were finally having an assessment the morning after!
Mum and I took her, and I sat in with the psychiatrist again to be the horrible one who tells lies. Nan had a fit again and I ended up leaving the room in the hope she would comunicate. She was in there for quite a while, when the psychiatrist called me back in he told me his findings.
Nan has blockages at each side of her neck that have been restricting the flow of blood to the brain and causing clotting. Tiny clots have travelled to her brain and caused damage, I think this means nan has vascular dementia? Though Im not sure?
Finally now we know what we are dealing with and are now just waiting for our doctor to refer her to the Cardiovascular unit in the Infirmary.
Just wondered if any of you knew what treatment may be available for nan now and can we hope to see any improvement in the future??
Thanx in advance
Karyn x
Sunday was terrible!
We had to get the on-call doc out to get a GP referal so that we could get nan in hospital and properly assessed quicker. Gramps had to go back to London with my uncle that day and we were just so bothered at how it may affect her, she doesnt always know who gramps is, but at the end of the day she speaks about him all the time and he is security for her at nightime - so we felt we had to do something.
The on call doctor took hours to arrive, when he finally did and tried to assess nan, she wasnt having any of it. She wouldnt co-operate at all as she insisted there was nothing at all wrong with her. I was spokesperson, and had to sit there and tell the GP the kind of things she had been doing - my nan was furious! She had no idea who I was, but insisted that I was a lier and that she was going to report me to the police - at one point she came right up in my face pointing her finger so close, I thought she was gonna poke my eye out! I felt terrible and did get a little tearful as she said the most horrible things to me and my mum - I know its the disease talking, but its just so hard not to get upset at times.
Nan also got very aggressive with the doctor, when he told her he would like her to go to hospital to have some tests done she flatly refused, he managed to talk her round by telling her she would be able to prove to us that nothing was wrong if she went - she agreed then.
The doctor arranged for an ambulance to come and pick her up - which I thought would be straight away - I was then told by the doctor that it could be anytime between 1 & 3 hours!
GREAT! I thought, by the time the ambulance comes, nan will have forgotten the whole fiasco and we will have to repeat the whole terrible thing when the ambulance men come - which we did!
For some reason though, when nan is asked questions by doctors etc - she immediately turns on me as the culprit every time now? She must remember me when shes angry? Not as her grandaughter obviousley, Im now the 'bitch' (1st time nan has ever swore in her life!) thats trying to kill her, get rid of her to steal her husband and have her put away. I only need to leave the room for about 5 mins after the confrontation has finished, and when I go back in she smiles and tells me how lovely I look ......bless her.
Anyway, we managed to get her into the ambulance because for a split second she thought I was her sister - so I quickly played the role and told her she could trust me and I would go with her for a ride, the ambulance man told her he was giving her a ride home.......I felt so guilty.
It had been a terribly stressfull day, all the confrontations with nan had mentally exhausted me and it had been a long day, by the time we got to the hospital it was 11.20pm!
The ward we were taken to was a ward especially for over 65's suffering Dementia. Nan happily strolled down the corridor saying how nice the colours were, then we got to the ward.
A nurse came to let us in and the ambulance men left.
My mum and I stood there looking at eachother in panic. The ward smelled strongly of urine - it was sickening. The floors were dirty and the poor folk wandering around like lost sheep seemed far more advanced in their illness' than my nan was.
A young nurse came over and showed us into a room to wait for the consultant. There was food all over the floor and the wallpaper had been ripped off the wall in big patches. My mum was in a state of panic and upset, saying 'I cant leave her here, Its horrible, I cant leave her here!'
I had to agree, it was the most disgusting hospital ward I had ever seen in my life, I was trying to calm my mum down, but I too was getting upset.
In the end I just couldnt contain myself any longer and I broke down (the stench of the place was making feel sick) I asked if there were any other wards - but was told that it was the only ward in our borough for my nans dementia. I apologised to the nurse and told her we were taking nan home.
Nan was oblivious to what was going on and started to thank mum and I for giving her such a lovely day and how kind we are to her...........I think I cried for about 2 hrs.......the feelings of guilt were so bad.
The day after, nan was fine and hadnt really noticed gramps wasnt there, we just said he'd be back soon and it was fine. I managed to arrange an appointment through one of the mental health team (Peter) to see the on-call psychiatrist the next day. He had read the notes about Sundays goings on and was very understanding, he agreed that the ward wasnt nice and suggested my mum and I write to our local MP to complain.
Nan did as we had thought that night, and had mum my brother and my sister up till 4am - going into their bedrooms and ripping the sheets back to see if gramps was there - she was even outside in the garden calling for him, aswell as eating the dog/cat biscuits and feeding the animals food frozen solid out the freezer.
We were grateful that we were finally having an assessment the morning after!
Mum and I took her, and I sat in with the psychiatrist again to be the horrible one who tells lies. Nan had a fit again and I ended up leaving the room in the hope she would comunicate. She was in there for quite a while, when the psychiatrist called me back in he told me his findings.
Nan has blockages at each side of her neck that have been restricting the flow of blood to the brain and causing clotting. Tiny clots have travelled to her brain and caused damage, I think this means nan has vascular dementia? Though Im not sure?
Finally now we know what we are dealing with and are now just waiting for our doctor to refer her to the Cardiovascular unit in the Infirmary.
Just wondered if any of you knew what treatment may be available for nan now and can we hope to see any improvement in the future??
Thanx in advance
Karyn x