Mum 79 already in end stage Alzheimers and in care 4 yrs.
Dad 82 with mild/moderate ( depending on day) mixed dementia.
Dad lives behind me, my brother currently living with him.
There is always someone at home, ( also my DH & 18 & 23yo) so very rare that Dad would be completely on his own more than 1-2hrs.
So lockdown ( Im from New Zealand) has hastened Dads decline on top of his decline.
Cognition, judgement, planning, reasoning, safety awareness quite poor.
Short term memory fluctuates. Long term memory shot.
Dad doesnt hallucinate or hear things, isnt delusional, isnt aggressive ( just grumpy & a bit argumentative)
Changing clothes & underwear, socks, general hygiene, brushing teeth, using soap when he is bathing, paying attention to cleanliness on toilet seat and floor when toileting is terrible.
Not incontinent, but often smells of urine, pjamas smell of urine. No accidents in his bed. He has a waterproof mattress protector.
He is resistant to us let alone carers coming into his house, or incontinent products.
Once a week, on my day off work I manage to get him to strip all his clothes and put them in the wash while he has a bath.
2 weeks ago he ended up in hospital with a nasty UTI ( hygiene??)
He had no awareness of not feeling well and telling us.
It was my brother who found him early morning trying to make a coffee, sweating and glassy eyed. Anti B drip and oral anti bs later, its taken 17 says for delirium to shift but hes still not back to where he was.
Im guessing he wont.
Dads now on a list to see a Urologist. He already has impaired kidneys.
What worries me now , is that on asking Dad a few memory questions 2.5 weeks later, and a clear UTI test, he cannot answer many more questions thanwhen he was in hospital.
Also despite still knowing how to use the phone, he could not tell me the emergency no for Fire, Ambo or Police.
He has an Ambo alarm in his lounge, bathroom & bedroom and has no idea what they are for or how you activate them.
So now we can no longer leave him on his own with much if any confidence at all.
If this was your parent what would you do?
Mind you his Urology appt is cause for concern too.
Dad 82 with mild/moderate ( depending on day) mixed dementia.
Dad lives behind me, my brother currently living with him.
There is always someone at home, ( also my DH & 18 & 23yo) so very rare that Dad would be completely on his own more than 1-2hrs.
So lockdown ( Im from New Zealand) has hastened Dads decline on top of his decline.
Cognition, judgement, planning, reasoning, safety awareness quite poor.
Short term memory fluctuates. Long term memory shot.
Dad doesnt hallucinate or hear things, isnt delusional, isnt aggressive ( just grumpy & a bit argumentative)
Changing clothes & underwear, socks, general hygiene, brushing teeth, using soap when he is bathing, paying attention to cleanliness on toilet seat and floor when toileting is terrible.
Not incontinent, but often smells of urine, pjamas smell of urine. No accidents in his bed. He has a waterproof mattress protector.
He is resistant to us let alone carers coming into his house, or incontinent products.
Once a week, on my day off work I manage to get him to strip all his clothes and put them in the wash while he has a bath.
2 weeks ago he ended up in hospital with a nasty UTI ( hygiene??)
He had no awareness of not feeling well and telling us.
It was my brother who found him early morning trying to make a coffee, sweating and glassy eyed. Anti B drip and oral anti bs later, its taken 17 says for delirium to shift but hes still not back to where he was.
Im guessing he wont.
Dads now on a list to see a Urologist. He already has impaired kidneys.
What worries me now , is that on asking Dad a few memory questions 2.5 weeks later, and a clear UTI test, he cannot answer many more questions thanwhen he was in hospital.
Also despite still knowing how to use the phone, he could not tell me the emergency no for Fire, Ambo or Police.
He has an Ambo alarm in his lounge, bathroom & bedroom and has no idea what they are for or how you activate them.
So now we can no longer leave him on his own with much if any confidence at all.
If this was your parent what would you do?
Mind you his Urology appt is cause for concern too.
