DEMENTIA got worse, being assessed but they want to free up the bed.......can anything be done????

[bloodsuckingLOONEY]

My parents live my with nan who has had dementia for a while now. It got a lot worse and so she was admitted to a mental health assessment hospital to see what they could do. They gave her drugs which sedated her because this is the only way the nurses can cope (they are under staffed). I was quite shocked they do this but anyway.......the result being that she couldn't do anything for herself, not walk, eat, go to the toilet etc etc. My dad requested they try other drugs that aren't knocking her out like this. I'm a bit confused about what has been tried etc but basically, my parents had a meeting with the hospital yesterday and they want her gone a week on Monday. My parents were under the impression that an assessment would take place and she would be released when stable and on something that will be ok. They've made it clear they want to free up the bed as they say the assessing of her with these different drugs could take up to a few months. My parents are livid, they are not treating her like an individual, just getting rid to let the next one in. It's so sad They even lost her glasses on the first day of her getting there so she's had no glasses the whole time she's been there.

Is this just something they have to accept? Is it the unfortunate thing that everyone has to deal with? They just want to put her in a nursing home and that's it, let them try different drugs. We don't actually see the point in her having gone there at all!!!!

Sorry, it's a bit of a venting off session but also, I do want to know if anything can be done about them getting rid of her so quickly????

TIA

Looneytune x

Sadly - this is normal. I don't know what to advise. There should be a proper meeting with you and all interested parties, a care plan and a transfer to an assessment centre. But IME this doesn't happen as it should. IME they often discharge elderly people at the weekend without informing families, so that you don't have time to protest.

Sorry i don't have anything more helpful to say. Have you spoken to her consultant?
Social services?

Something that your parents should expolore is the availability of beds in nursing homes which cater for the Elderly Mentally ill (known as EMI units) The local council will have a list of approriate places.....some of them can be excellent. I reaise that your parents may not want to choose this option, but when the burden of care gets too much, it can sometimes be the only viable opion.

Does your Nan have a social worker? A good one can be worth their weight in gold in helping your parents to navegate through this area, which is confusing at the best of times.

I would say that it is important to expolore the options now when the need is not so great, so as to avoid having to make quick decisions in an emergency.

In the first instance I would contact your GP and or Social services and explain the situation. But you have my sympathy, it is a tough one. I've had to go down this route with my mother who is, thank god, in a fantastic hospital, and has been for the last 5 years.

So sorry to hear this - my beloved gran ahd this ghastly disease....unfortunately it gets worse progressively sometimes quite rapidly and TBH the drugs don't seem to make a huge difference - I think your family needs to look at management plans and not focus to much on the drugs/treatment/"cures" ...there really aren't any

Hi.
I work in a Bupa care home for the elderly with Dementia. As macnoodle says- the drugs really dont do much for the disease. Most of our residents are transferred from local hospitals, I would suggest that your family ask the discharge liason nurse to come up with a plan that looks at options available for your gran.

Unfortunatly it is a progressive illness, and other than good care, there is not much that you can do.

It is an awful disease, truly awful- I hope you find a solution to her problems

Thanks everyone and sorry I didn't come back earlier. I've now passed a link to this thread onto my mum so she can be kept updated, I love this place for advice, thanks again

Looneytune x