Does anyone have a suggestion as to a sleep aid that will give a dementia sufferer sleep vs. increasing the agitation, confusion and only making the dementia worse? My mother is 95, a hospice patient and lives with us along with my 85 year old father-in-law and our 4 month old grandson. My mother has been up numerous nights extremely confused. Of course, everything she says is very real to her and when I try to either reason with her or try to tell her she can't leave at 3am, she digs her heels in. There is no reasoning with her and I can't tie her to the bed. I need something to give her peace from her deeply confused state. I am exhausted and it breaks my heart watching her struggle with a mind that lies to her. Last night I was up all night trying to keep her from taking the car, that she quite driving 5 years ago, to pick up her brother, who died 12 years ago. She has no balance, her legs are weak and she can barely walk yet was fighting me tooth and nail because I had my hand on her arm trying to keep her from falling down. It is extremely frustrating for not only my family and myself, but her as well. I know if I could just give her a pill during those times that would knock her out and give her a good night's sleep by the next morning life would be better......for us all. Last night, I gave her a Darvocet, two Ativan and an anti-depressant that was supposed to help. HA! I know the doctors don't want to prescribe sleeping pills because they can be deadly in the elderly. I am exhausted because I care for my grandson during the day as well as my mother and now I am up all night too. I need some rest. I love my mother with all my heart and soul and would do anything for her comfort. All her life she told me, "If I EVER lose my mind, just pull the plug because I NEVER want to live like that." And here she is alive in the shell that was once my mother. It is so, so sad because I know she is miserable, exhausted and trying to make sense in situations when there is non to be made. I sure could use some suggestions. No she is not hungry, needs to use the bathroom or any of the other issues sometimes associated with agitation. It is her mind making the unreal seem real to her. I feel so awful and it is heartbreaking to watch and deal with. Thanks!
I had it lightest setting and had my hand resting there to make sure that it was not too hot. Well, with the gurgles produced, I could tell it was like a garden hose with a kink in it, and it just got relieved. This morning was better, slept for three hours, and Nurse came with her insights, her work uhhhh, paid off. Without physically moving around or sitting home, the fecal material is just
not being pushed along. We judged that was his moaning, he felt pain and couldn't suppress the sound of distress. The sleep aid recommended with a call to the doctor was sent, I just looked up on Wiki. It is not recommended for dementia patients. Oh, and that was two hours ago,and it's not working either. Will try the suggestion given on this board for children's cherry benedryl. Will also alternate with magnesium caps which work for me. I must say though, my experience with any and everything, nothing works after Day Three. Nothing. Have had luck with Tart Cherry juice for myself and the dad, earlier in this process when he was up and about. Regular cherry juice doesn't work, and hold on to your hat ...this stuff is tart, and expensive, but a little goes long way, I use it in ginger ale, not too much, counter productive, caffeine and all. Never gave him melatonin. I don't use it anymore, but it never put me to sleep, but I slept more soundly with pleasant dreams. Where is medical marijuana? The substance works on inflammation, it is inexpensive by comparison to prescription drugs. It is nature's way....where is it? Living in Maryland, I can tell you where ours is....it's stuck in committee. The law was passed four years ago. What was to have been summer has turned into 2018. They say they don't have enough in production as yet. Yeahright. What it is really is that not enough thumbs are on the scale, they need more time. So, short of moving to CO or CA, we don't know if these harmless tinctures and oils work for dementia patients when nothing else seems to. The hemp oil can be sold legally in this state and would probably work. What's happening here is....we 'age out' of this problem. Eventually the patient meets The Happy Reaper and former caregivers are out of work and too tired to look back. We have to do better. The paucity of medical assistive devices is shocking. No tools. No patient lifts...there should be a simple side-bed pullout. Roll the patient on the inflatable, roll him or her back when the bed is changed. Rooms should have a garden hammock for those nights when you need to be close by. All hospital beds should have overhead triangles so the patient exercises to keep upper body strength. Where are these things? A hospital bed with something like an overturned playpen, soft protective edges and netting and a bell so he or she can alert you, but the wandering patient stays put for a few hours. Anyone wishing a self inflating mattress to put near the bed to make for a happy landing....look to Houzz App on their Shop link. I got a good single bed reversible mattress there, excellent price, made in the USA. Oh, and here's a suggestion....there are, for your iPad, wwwwwonderful long running sleep videos. One is a train ride, it runs for ten hours....you could embellish the experience by packing a lunch and saying 'don't forget your sweater'. Train rides might cure dementia all by themselves. Readers....This board is great, but we have to demand some changes. We don't have the tools needed...the items might be in a sports and camping store and a toy store or a tool store, but what we need is not in a medical supply store. Oh, here's some innovation....sheets with Velcro tabs. A 'draw sheet' with soft handles to go beneath the patient. Rocket science?