Hi, my mum is 81 diagnosed mixed dementia a year ago, although she has always had a personality disorder. She has always lived alone after the children moved out 30 years ago, and has always been fiercely independent. I moved her near me 10 years ago to my town and she has been in mental decline for a couple years after breaking both hips within 10 months. Anyway- she is REALLY not setting in her beautiful new assisted living flat. She keeps trying to leave and go home every day and I am constantly unpacking and making her bed again when I visit her. I am her only relative that supports her, pays bills, shops for her, cares about her, and I’m finding it really distressing. She is very difficult and phones mes a lot saying she has to move. Her social worker and mental health team are thinking of moving her into a dementia care home for her safety, but I am worried it would really destroy her , like being in a prison. Anyone else going through the same please? Thank you, Elaine
hopefully it won’t come to moving her for a little while.
Happy hunting, please let us know how you're getting on, and don't forget to breathe! I know how horribly stressful it all is.
Oh crumbs, don't tell me that's where she already is - ?!
MHA? Not sure as I’ve not heard of them. I will look it up. She’s in an amazing retirement village called Hartfields. She has lovely 2 bed flat hairdressers, shop, cafe, arts and crafts, singing club etc...there are carers on site 24/7. She has carers 4/5 times a day. She couldn’t be anywhere better suited. The issue is, the mental health team are worried as she could physically leave, whereas in a care home the doors are locked out of the facility so she can’t. I will look into MHA though on the internet now, thanks v much 🙏
I will say that once my LO, who has Vascular Dementia, possible also mixed with AD, was prescribed a secure Memory Care due to wandering, it was such a good transition for her. She immediately seemed to relax once we arrived. She seemed to sense that the other residents were like her and it worked out wonderfully. She had felt uncomfortable in a regular AL, since the other residents were not as advanced with dementia as she was. In MC she was more more at home.
I would try to view things from your mother's view as she is now and not how she might have viewed it before she had the mental decline. That helped me a great deal when dealing with my LO's issues.
Also, you can check out the facility in advance. At my LO's facility, they have a secure outdoor area as well as porch and grounds that the residents can go with assistance. I'd also keep in mind that no matter where she lives, she may say she wants to go home and continue to pack her bags. That often happens with people who ARE living inside their own home. The home may be a place in their mind from the past and not an actual physical location.