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Elderly parents

Mum in Care home - it’s all going tits up

57 replies

SinisterBumFacedCat · 14/06/2024 18:32

My DM has been in her care home since September. I chose it because it was close to me, looked cosy and there was a reassuring mix of ages (DM is only 67 with Alzheimer’s). It’s a nice enough home as and all the relatives I have met rave about. Unfortunately they are not equipped to handle my Mum. She has deteriorated significantly since moving in and I am rarely able to take her out as she is often too sleepy or says she feels sick after the smallest amount of walking. She has had X-rays and scans and has kidney stones and diverticulitis. She screams every day in the home and has recently started smearing her poo. The home and local mental health team are in a tug of war over whether she needs more medication or more engagement. Care home wants her medication upped, MH are reluctant due to risk of stroke (she has a terminal illness but hey ho) MH team want staff to engage her more in the daily activities. If they do there is no evidence (there are photo albums in the lobby of activities and many Facebook posts, mum is rarely if ever in them and hasn’t been featured for months, in fact it’s the same old faces every time, the well behaved perfect residents with contented dementia, I’m sorry but it was a selling point in the beginning but now it makes me so angry!) Care home now say she needs one to one every evening, MH team said one to one to come in and take her out a couple of times a week (I don’t honestly think she is up to this as MH team have previously always overestimated mums abilities). Anyway a chat with MH team today and she has basically said I need to start looking for a new home because it is a matter of not if but when they give her notice. I don’t know what to do. The care home regularly ring me to complain about Mums behaviour. I have had a carer tell me to come in more to see her (I do 2/3 times a week). They act like I have the magic answer but I don’t. They called tonight with Mum in tears in the background, I spoke to her to calm her down but I couldn’t work out what she was talking about and within seconds of the conversation ending I could hear her crying. On top of everything I’m recovering from Covid which is flooring me in the afternoon and evening and making me exhausted achy and breathless. It’s a longer post than expected to say it’s basically all going tits up. What I want to ask is have any of you gone through this and did you find a forever care home for your non compliant difficult screamy aggressive parent? I’ve seen rumours online of nhs dementia units but I don’t know if Mum is extreme enough for that. Can someone who didn’t have a peaceful perfect parent please give me some reassurances?

OP posts:
PolaroidPrincess · 23/10/2024 21:48

I know people call it a cruel disease but I think that’s an understatement.

I do too. So glad your DM is more settled.

Crikeyalmighty · 24/10/2024 19:34

@SinisterBumFacedCat did you mover her to the stunning one??

SinisterBumFacedCat · 25/10/2024 21:01

Yes, she’s in the stunning one! Unfortunately she’s passed the point where she can truly appreciate the aesthetics, but I certainly do. The best thing is the carers and staff though, there are some genuinely lovely, unfazed carers there. I could never afford it myself but I have my eye on a double aspect first floor room if I win the lottery.

OP posts:
Tweeti · 25/10/2024 21:14

@widelegenes so sorry for your loss Flowers

Interested to hear your experience of nursing homes v care homes. My Mum has mid stage Alzheimer's and is in a care home but I've been debating whether there is, in fact, enough care for her.

Crikeyalmighty · 25/10/2024 21:19

@SinisterBumFacedCat you see the thing is if I was going to be a carer - the nicer environment would woo me in!!

Balletdreamer · 25/10/2024 21:36

SinisterBumFacedCat · 17/06/2024 21:53

The care home contacted me again today to say she was screaming again today and tried to escape. When mental health lady went in an hour before she was in bed and dozy. CH want one to one 24/7! This isn’t possible really. I don’t know how common 24/7 one to one is but she might as well be at home with 24/7 care. I’m trying to push consultant to increase meds but MH are reluctant due to risk. If it comes back no I will request a best interest meeting. I think the CH have given up and I’m very disillusioned with the whole system. I have financial POA but not health unfortunately. I don’t have any relatives who could share the burden with at home care but she does have brothers. I just wish the consultant would consider giving her enough medication to ease her anxiety, it must be horrible being that anxious all the time!

FYI I had both POAs and despite placing in care home, making medical decisions, no one ever asked to see the health and social care one. When there’s clearly no capacity and you’re making decisions for the best of the person I don’t think they push to see it….

widelegenes · 26/10/2024 10:24

Tweeti · 25/10/2024 21:14

@widelegenes so sorry for your loss Flowers

Interested to hear your experience of nursing homes v care homes. My Mum has mid stage Alzheimer's and is in a care home but I've been debating whether there is, in fact, enough care for her.

Everyone is different, but I know for my MIL that she was less anxious once she was settled in the secure dementia wing. She had been 'gone' to us for a while, but she was constantly talking about needing to walk the dogs, to go home, to go to her flat in Spain, which meant she was always trying to leave. I think if she had been settled in sooner (rather than being sectioned) she would have had a more calm last few months. It's just all so horrible and difficult.

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