Agitated mother

[Toffeeapple06]

Hi my mother has been in a nursing home for the last nine months she has vascular dementia . She gets very agitated when being washed and especially hates the hoist being transferred from bed to the wheel chair she lashes out swearing and scratching the carers .. I understand that she must feel very frightened when being hoisted but can anyone give me advice of how to make it less traumatic for her please

How upsetting for you. Is your mother in a specialist home? They should be able to support your mother (and you) in an appropriate way.

Have you asked the home to get advice on alternative transfers from a physio?

I don't know if there would be any alternatives but no harm in asking?

If she needs the hoist I doubt there will be alternative methods of safe transfers. I would speak to the home manager to ensure they have assessed her correctly, they are using the right size and type of sling and hoist, there is a soft all day leave in sling that cuts down the amount of times a sling has to be put on and removed. I would also ask if she needs to be sat in a wheelchair if she doesn't want to, is it for her benefit, could she maybe sit out of bed every other day. With washing, the staff should check that she is feeling clean especially if she is incontinent, it's not something people enjoy but it is essential.

Also is she on medication for anxiety? My mum is in a dementia specialist home (she doesn't have dementia) and the lady opposite her with dementia gets very anxious, but is starting new medication.

Hoists are horrible and lots of people find them difficult. I should ask for an assessment by the OT and Physio and be there when they come to talk it through with them. This is really affecting the quality of her life. I agree that a medication review by a specialist may be a good option too