He tells me he can't cope. Says the same to my brother (we don't speak long story).
I got social services to visit and he told them the opposite. Hes fine.
Yesterday, got a call from the Lifeline people he'd fallen over. I drove over my brother was there also (first time I'd spoken in 2 years). Turns out Dad has fallen 4-5 times recently and called my brother. Didn't tell me.
I'm furious, hes lying to everyone. No idea what hes playing up.
I've told him 100 times I cannot pick him up off the floor anyway. (I've got back problems, got blue badge for it).
Every time its always "my sons will do it". Hes refused carers in the past. He just will not get it out of his head that we can't do everything for him.
To be honest, hes better off in a nice residential home. BUT hes stubborn about that.
Hes got almost £50K in the bank but obsessive about not spending any of it.
From what I understand, I can't force anything, even if his stupid decisions are causing problems for himself. Whether hes mentally capable is borderline at the moment I'd say.
Any suggestions/recommendations?
Elderly parents
Dad 89 won't listen, health failing, lies to people
paulfoel · 17/03/2024 13:26
Shouldbedoing · 17/03/2024 13:30
You make it clear to the authorities that you cannot provide care. Should he end up in hospital a safe discharge will be planned. They will try to rope you in to provide care. Do not promise more than you can manage.
RiffRaffBananas · 17/03/2024 13:33
Have you got a Legal Power of Attorney for both health/wellbeing and finance/property? If not get them Registered now otherwise social services will take over.
PermanentTemporary · 17/03/2024 20:25
When the Lifeline call you, ask them to call an ambulance, or call them yourself.
Try to get your dad to agree to the installation of a keysafe and to share the code so that the ambulance workers don't have to break down the door.
If the hospital teams call you, say that you live a long way away and can't do any care.
That's it really.
Daisymay2 · 17/03/2024 13:36
Can really help in terms of what to do - my dad insisted he was fine and was admitted to hospital several times before he finally agreed to go into sheltered accommodation, and when that failed into residential. As for the lies…… he told SS that I visited daily, did all his shopping and hoovered through. They insisted he was correct. I lived 160 miles away and had a full time job. He was still correct as it was in his notes. I was insulted that they thought my hoovering left the place in the state it was.
EmotionalBlackmail · 18/03/2024 11:23
Hang on, you were "well over the limit" and you still drove over to scoop him up?!
So you drove over to him, whilst well over the limit for drink driving? Putting yourself and other people at risk if you'd had an accident. Risking your own driving licence?!
Is it time to think about priorities here. What is risky? Him on the floor for a few hours or you driving after drinking?
EmotionalBlackmail · 18/03/2024 11:23
Hang on, you were "well over the limit" and you still drove over to scoop him up?!
So you drove over to him, whilst well over the limit for drink driving? Putting yourself and other people at risk if you'd had an accident. Risking your own driving licence?!
Is it time to think about priorities here. What is risky? Him on the floor for a few hours or you driving after drinking?
GinForBreakfast · 18/03/2024 11:58
OP could have meant over the speed limit, as opposed to the drink driving limit. Neither are good but the latter is terrible, obviously.
EmotionalBlackmail · 18/03/2024 11:23
Hang on, you were "well over the limit" and you still drove over to scoop him up?!
So you drove over to him, whilst well over the limit for drink driving? Putting yourself and other people at risk if you'd had an accident. Risking your own driving licence?!
Is it time to think about priorities here. What is risky? Him on the floor for a few hours or you driving after drinking?
MereDintofPandiculation · 18/03/2024 09:26
No idea what hes playing up. He knows he’s failing, he’s scared stiff of going into a care home.
He’s not deliberately selfish, it’s just that his own needs are all encompassing.
you have to protect your own interests, because he is in no position to. And, as you suggest, standing back may help him realise that he does need support.
Daisymay2 · 18/03/2024 11:38
I don’t think for a moment social services were stupid. I think they were just going by the check list and were overwhelmed by workload. I come from a town where the mantra was that people retire there to die and forget what they went for. Dad also passed the short dementia assessment easily as it focuses on current affairs, dad was a former local councillor, in fact chair of social services at one stage, and devoured the papers daily. He had been a salesman , he could chat for 30minutes ok, his confusion showed when he was tired.
i had to ask the SW to read out the number she had dialled twice before she realised that it wasn’t the local one. My local dialling code was one digit different to dad’s. Then I asked her to check where it was! She still thought I pooped in several times a week. I aimed to go once a month in reality.
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