Am I right to call 111?

[JamieFrasersSassenach]

DM has definitely got cognitive decline.
This week it has got markedly worse.

Today she has been telling me things have happened that I know have not.

Examples are that her heating isn't working - it's 23 in her house.

She says people have been coming in and out of her house all week - British Gas Homecare came twice to put new batteries in her hive thermostat and then to show her how to set her boiler temperature - their records say she was confused.

I live an hours drive away from her, I came over this morning to check everything for her - all good, spent about 2.5 hours with her.

I got home at lunchtime, by 3.30 she had phoned me 3 times to say her heating was not working and she was freezing (her hive account which I have access to was showing the house temperature to be 23) and then that none of her 3 TVs were working.

I came back - everything working fine, DM wearing a vest top because she is so warm.

She then said she phoned me because there were electrical wires all over the floor and she did not know where to put them.

She said I had left the wires there when I was stripping down electrical equipment this morning.

There were no electrical wires and I had not had any electrical equipment out this morning.

I called 111 and spoke to them about her confusion. I am waiting for a call back.

Is there anyone else I could contact for help this evening?

I can't stay here with her and simply cannot keep driving over, or to be honest cope with constant phone calls. I'm thinking maybe she has a uti and this is making her a bit delusional.

Anyone have experience of similar - ideas of what I should do to get DM some help tonight/tomorrow?

I have PoA set up so if she is deemed in the future to lack capacity I can act on her behalf.

They will write a short report for every visit. It might be worth seeing if you can get them to do that electronically (they may do this already, it used to be in a paper folder) and send it to you, so you can monitor things.

What they usually do is a “reablement package” of up to 4 or 6 weeks. During that time they record what they’re actually doing and decide whether the person needs long term care. So they can finish early because the person is managing, or finish early because it’s clear they’ll need long term care, in which case they hand over to Social Service. Your mum seems to have been shortchanged!

As for the carers getting in, this is where you need to install a key box by her front door (or wherever). It will have a passcode that only they will know, so that they can get in if she's asleep, or refusing them entry, etc. I prefer it somewhere inconspicuous near the back door, so it doesn’t announce “elderly vulnerable person living on their own”

Also, OP, it may be time to think about supported living for your mum. That can be a stage that means a care home isn't necessary for a few years.

Sheltered accommodation, I mean. With a warden on hand, that sort of thing.

Nomad, I mean. The blister pack is called a nomad. The pharmacy fill them.

Another vote for a dosset box. Though as far as I know the carers can only prompt her to take meds . And maybe record if they think they are not taken.
Don't despair if initial caring regime doesn't work . It can take for it to bed in and for both sides to get used to the situation.
And as others have said there m might initially be a short term plan organised from hospital and then the need to move to a permanent plan

Did the hospital arrive at a conclusion as to what caused the severe mood problems?