My Mom is in an AL facility. She uses a walker and is unstable on her feet so she has not been allowed out the front door alone. She has started throwing tantrums and gets angry and upset at the staff for keeping her trapped inside so they have started letting her sit out front on the bench but she gets up and walks around a bit. Someone on staff watches her through a window (she gets highly upset if anyone follows her). There is not enough staff to be able to watch her for hours each day and they want to meet with me to discuss what to do. How did anyone else dealing with this handle this situation? Would love for my mom to have the freedom to be outside but understand staff have other things to do. Suggestions?
With at least 3 people and 3 staff.
Each staff takes one hour, then the others take an hour, and so on.
Like said, you may need to hire a sitter. Maybe you can find a student that can use some pocket money.
Of course the facility is afraid to let her out by herself, as she doesn't seem to want to stay in one place, which is a liability issue for them for sure.
Otherwise you could also hire someone to take her out, and keep an eye on her as often as you see fit. That way the facility doesn't have to keep an eye on her, and mom can enjoy the outdoors.
When I volunteered with hospice years ago, I had a little lady with Alzheimer's, who loved to go outside, so when I would visit her, I would take her outside(weather permitting)in her wheelchair and push her around the grounds, and then back to the front of the facility, so she could sit and say hi to everyone that came and went. That was her favorite part, and it brought me such joy just to watch her.
No one wants to have to stay indoors all the time, so I hope you can get things figured out for your mom, so she can enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Good luck.
If she's wandering, then she probably belongs in Memory Care, not Assisted Living.