Talk

Flip

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

1 2

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Dementia & Alzheimer's

Frequent falls - care home can't cope

26 replies

Candleabra · 25/01/2021 20:30

Mum has very advanced dementia but is miraculously still mobile. She walks a lot. A lot. Won't stop. Falls every other day and the care home (EMI residental) have put so many measures in place, they've been brilliant. But other than someone accompanying her 24/7 they can't completely prevent the falls. She had a bad fall on Saturday night.

The care home are now starting to say that her needs may be too high. They've escalated the problem with social services. I'm worried she will have to move into a different home. Any experience with this?

OP posts:

Report

dottydally · 26/01/2021 11:23

@Candleabra we had something similar with my DGM though it wasn't mainly for falls in her case. She had a few falls but was becoming violent and refusing personal care (she had severe Alzheimer's). She was reassessed immediately as a crisis case and offered a bed on a specialist older people's mental health ward.

We didn't have the funding issue as she was sectioned under the mental health act at that point so it was fully funded but I just wanted to say that the move was the best thing to happen to her. It is unnerving for family - even more so because it was done under the first lockdown, so no visitation at all, but it meant she got the 1:1 care she so desperately needed. The staff were angels - I honestly couldn't ask for anything more. They cared for her with such compassion and kindness.

In her case it also meant (and I mean this nicely) they could be more forceful in terms of things like personal care where the care home couldn't. If she refused to wash/be washed there they couldn't make her. It sounds horrible but it is absolutely in her best interest to be clean if you know what I mean.

Sending hugs to you It's a horrible situation. We ran ourselves ragged trying to do things and I know a PP has suggested taking on a caring role but we wouldn't. It's not because we don't care.. Alzheimer's and dementia is such an unpredictable condition and even if you could manage today, you just have no idea what tomorrow will bring.