Screaming Mum with Alzheimer’s, what should I do?

[SinisterBumFacedCat]

I’m just off to visit DM in nursing home, she is screaming all the time. I have just got back from 2 days away and I spoke to the carers yesterday and today. They are trying to get her assessed and waiting. I’m worried she will get kicked out of yet another home due to behaviour. She has a constricted hand but this predates the screaming. Yesterday they put her on the phone to me to see if I could calm her down, but she just started screaming again. I called today and I could hear her screaming in the background. I’m going to see her now but honestly I don’t have the magic touch to make her stop. I wish she wasn’t going through this it is like slow torture. Has anyone found a way of dealing with this?

Actually screaming, or shouting?

The latter (or wailing) is pretty common in Alzheimers and I wouldn't have thought it a reason to kick her out. True screaming would be very disturbing for other residents, though.

She'll need to checked over for any possible source of pain - and it's worth trying painkillers while waiting for tests - but quite often it's mental rather than physical distress. Distraction sometimes helps, particularly with music.

The home should have experience in handling this and a variety of strategies to try, and the GP may be able to prescibe something - perhaps a mild sedative or low dose antidepressant?

She is already on paracetamol daily for her hand, which is completely fused shut. She wails more than screams but it is very loud and sustained. Her last home said she had to go or have a separate one to one carer because she disturbed other “customers”. When I went into her room earlier she was having a full conversation with an imaginary person. She gets agitated by things like her blankets, no matter if I put them over her or took them off. I don’t want to move her again as she is pretty challenging and I’m running out of places to take her. The carers are nice, the home is lovely but I’m scared she will get given notice again.

Incidentally between screaming she did start singing along to the radio 🙃