My 82 year old mum became very ill with Covid/low sodium and has now been discharged from hospital after 3 weeks. She is now at home.
Problem is, she has been completely confused with severe delirium since entering hospital and shows no sign of improvement even though she is now back in her own home. She keeps asking where she is and doesn't recognise people and keeps saying in a baffled voice "why am I alive?"
She thinks the hospital nurses were trying to poison her so is refusing to take the medication they have prescribed. I don't think she is safe to be alone but the hospital says she doesn't need a care plan because she is physically okay. Problem is I live over an hours drive away and have a job and a family. I don't know how this is going to work. I can't afford to give up work. I've already taken 3 weeks off work and they want me to come back.
4 weeks ago she was completely independent and now she is like a frightened child. We never got on prior to the crisis - she had a very difficult personality, possibly bipolar or borderline, but now she clings on to me and won't let me go. I am the only person she will accept in the house - she went NC with my brother 30 years ago, so no help there.
I don't know what to do. What do other people do in these sort of situations?