I feel totally out of my depth at the moment and don't know how to handle things properly or whether I am over re-acting.
My wonderful mum has just been diagnosed with Alzheimers. I never expected her to have a mental decline, I always thought I would have to face a physical decline as she has many medical problems associated with Lupus and is on a large amount of medication for Lupus and heart disease.
I begged for help from GP and Social Services but they were not interested. I live an hour away.
A few weeks ago she was hospitalised after an accidental overdose of her meds. I had got the GP to prescribe them in blister packs as I thought it would help her take them properly, but she took nearly a weeks worth and then could not remember. Suddenly things started happening and a care package has been put in place with district nurses as part of it to go in morning and evening to administer medication. The medication is kept in a safe. To date the following has happened:
- Medication was left on top of the safe, not locked in the safe. Luckily I arrived Friday morning (I had already told the district nurses I would give her the medication on the Friday morning as we had a hospital appointment and found it on top of the safe.
- On the Sunday morning I happened to be at mums when the nurse turned up (she had phoned me early in the morning in a panic about her TV........). The nurse said to my mum that the carers could administer the meds. I said that I had been categorically told they would not and that we were trying to get into a routine. If I had not been there my mum would have agreed to anything and then forgotten. She literally forgets everything.
I spoke to the management about both issues (and the fact that the safe is now not working) and they were full of apologies and it will not happen again etc.
I have just discovered this evening that on Friday she was not given her evening medication. I read the folder every time I visit and a nurse was there at 10.15pm but has just watched my mum administer some eye drops which is not even in their notes and that is it. The tablets are still in the blister pack. I am furious as I feel I cannot trust them, but I work full time and cannot be there morning and evening 7 days a week.
What shall I do? If I make a fuss I worry about the nurse and her job, but I am worried constantly about them doing their job properly. I am finding this so hard. I have never had to deal with these sorts of issues before.