her our of that unit because she is no longer responding to the structure of that area. I am opposed and think something else is going on here. I feel there are worse off people in that unit. What are my options? Can the nursing home make me move her?
She is confined to a wheelchair now, but I almost feel like they have medicated her so drastically that the decline is almost horrifying. I understand that the disease will cause a decline, but shortly after they told me they were having to give her medicine to "calm" her agitation and combativeness, she cannot walk. She is now in a wheelchair and her eyes are very drugged when we go in. My sister asked about her being on too much medication, and the social worker said she would look into to it and call back, but never did. Literally my mom was up and "exit seeking" one week, and within two weeks in a wheelchair just listlessly sitting like a vegetable. She also went from talking okay to using the wrong words - we can no longer understand what she is trying to say. Again, this has all happened since the drugs. And the speed of this descent into the vegetable state was alarming.
They have moved her against my wishes today and I am going in to see how she is doing. I plan on asking for a list of her meds and the dosages. Is it possible they are drugging her for their convenience and not her own good? That is my worry.
I do plan on moving her to another facility ASAP. I feel so upset about this situation and fear that my mother is not being treated the way she should be medically.
Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated.
You didn't really explain why your worried about the move. Why do you feel she should remain in her current location and why would a regular unit not be good for her?
To qualify my opinion - I used to work as an RN in an elder care facility that also had a separate Alzheimer's Unit. (I didn't work in that unit, but would sit in on care manager meetings....)
Perhaps you mom is no longer responding to any specialized stimulation and activities and is also no longer able to wander off. That often happens in the later stages of the disease. In that case, she may no longer have a need to be in the AU and can be moved into the "general population" of the nursing facility, without it being to her disadvantage. In fact, it may be cheaper for her to be on a regular unit. (I suppose, that only matters if she or the family pay for her care.)
You may want to contact the doctor for an opinion, as well. If you feel there is unfairness, your state has a nursing home ombudsman and you can contact him or her through your state's Web site. It does sound a bit strange, but I don't know your exact situation. Good luck with this. It's very disturbing.
Carol