I am keeping a diary. Her care plan of 2 carers 4 times a day is still in place. Reason why Nan was admitted to hospital for a 3rd time was due to blood clots on the lungs.
So was she sent home from hospital the first time with these clots??
My mum was never the same after this happened to her after hip surgery.
First admission was for fall and hip surgery which she was in a while.
Second admission only after a few hours of being home was due to carer unable to mobilise her and it turns out she had water/kidney infection.
And this time lung clots. Not sure if she had these before and they went unnoticed but I doubt it.
What do you mean by not the same?
When you do the diary make sure you put everything in.
Including
All the prompts you give her
All the checking to make sure she’s OK
All the food ordering
Food prep
Helping her eat if necessary
Reminders to eat and drink if you just leave it in
Front of her
Any phone calls about her.
Any night care or checking up on her
Medication ordering
Keeping her entertained
Emotional support
Etc
Its important to build a full picture. And also how long each thing takes
So Nan was discharged yesterday evening instead of Wednesday. Nothing wrong health wise I think it was something to do with carers and social services.
Anyway she is home…
Here we go again.
GP Discharge letter that was from hospital has requested a memory clinic referral from gP. Is that a way of potentially getting her diagnosed for dementia?
She seemed more with it yesterday but still repeating herself.
I felt bad leaving her today but I have to work.
So they have discharged her without assessing her dementia?!
You must go to work Luke. Either she manages with staff going in or goes into residential care. You must not sacrifice your life, because if she has dementia, and repeating herself certainly sounds like it, then she cannot make any reasonable decision.
We are here for you.
Doctor told me when he rang from the ward that dementia assessments are a community thing and are done at home or at clinics he also said that they didn’t notice that she was repeating herself while on the ward. - well they wouldn’t she hasn’t got anyone to speak too, and she was unwell so probably sleeping all the time.
I spoke to her GP today, who is going to refer her to A memory clinic. They still stay she can make decisions herself, if she got a diagnosis would this change things?
Bit nervous for Saturday and Sunday mornings as she will have different carers to the normal ones. Hope she be ok. I be there to check.
My Nan memory seems to be that she can’t remember asking a question she asked a couple of minutes ago. So asks again and again… But then she can recall actresses and actors out of tv programmes. For example dinner ladies on bbc1.
My Nan even with physio isn’t going to be mobile like she was before. She will still require two carers.
She thinks that she start going out shopping and walking and start using stairs again. How do I break to her that she won’t anymore or do I just try and dodge the question?
I am so worried at the moment. I mean after lunch time tomorrow I need to go shopping. I am looking forward to it just for a little break even for a hour.
No point in telling her repeatedly to distress her each time. It really does sound like she has dementia. Can you film her repeating herself?
Hi Luke,
Short term memory goes first and that’s why she keeps asking the same question over and over. Hope the weekend care workers are as good as the usual ones. She will remember things from the past. She will retain her childhood memories the longest.
You are doing a great keeping up your job and pushing for Nan to get what she needs. It is exhausting.
Melly1
Sorry Luke, when I said that my mum was “not the same” after her pulmonary embolism (clot on the lungs) she never regained the health that she had before her hip replacement and subsequent blood clots. Looking back, it marked the point when she went to having mobility problems because of her hip, to being housebound. In fact the hip was fine afterwards, it lasted until she died over 30 years later, but it had affected her lungs. In theory she should have been up and about walking getting fit again, but spent some time in hospital because of the clots. Looking back, it marked the point at which she never went out again unless it was in a car with dad, me or a taxi.
Only you can say whether nan’s clots have had an extra effect, but you must be firm and not keep doing things that the carers should be doing.
So I was in all day with Nan today. Working tomorrow.
I had a call from OT regarding a chair for her to sit in which hopefully is better then what she has now.
Again I am very concerned about her memory.
Constant repeating today.
Even with watching the tv, I don’t even think she knows what she is watching. I put her favourites on then she ends up switching over mid programme and she was watching keeping up with kadashisns. I then ask her what are you watching, ‘I dunno’
I don’t think she knows what she is doing…
Carers gave her medication just before she left. Shortly after they went she was asking for it, doesn’t know she taken it.
I know it’s definitely been taken I witnessed it.
Luke, your nan’s behaviours sound similar to my aunt’s. Like you, we’re waiting for the clinics to open up so she can have an assessment at the memory clinic.
About six months ago, we were asked to provide a little medicine safe for her tablets. She was getting confused and was taking tablets even though the carers were giving her them.
Does your nan have a safe for her tablets?
Luke, have you told Social Services what is going on?
Is the care manager liasing with SSD?
Now Nan is discharged from hospital, she is their responsibility.
GP has made a referral to Memory Clinic Team. So hopefully I hear soon. But Covid is holding things up.
That’s very different from Social Services. Social Services are ultimately responsible for Nan’s care in the community, and will arrange residential care if needed.
I did speak about this with SS When she was in hospital for blood clots. They want to see how she is going with the carers. Wasn’t out long enough to see how it was working. She seems be transferring better between chair and commode and bed. Obviously can’t walk.
And also she still makes it clear she doesn’t want to go in a home. I was thinking that if she goes down the route of a memory clinic and they find out she has dementia then maybe it be easier. They still believe she has power to make the choices at the moment. A LPA for health and finance has been sent off but they take up to 10 weeks or more I think to progress and make official. I know that a finance LPA kicks in straight away. But a LPA for health doesn’t unless she can’t make decisions. So if she is diagnosed with dementia. Does that mean she would be classed as unable to make her own choices and then the LPa for health kicks in? Hope you understand what I mean. ??
It makes sense that you want to go down the route of the memory clinic. Hopefully they’ll open up in the next few weeks or so.
But Social Services can also get involved at any point if you feel she’s not safe when you’re not there. SS would present it to your Nan as a decision based on their risk assessment of her situation.
I’m in Scotland and it’s taken 6 months for the Power of Attorney application to be processed. But I understand that it can be fast-tracked under extraordinary circumstances. Are you managing Nan’s bills online? A diagnosis of dementia does not automatically mean that the person doesn’t have the capacity to make decisions. A medical profession has to verify that’s the case.
Hopefully, the POA hurry’s up.
I am currently paying her bills and using cash she left in the house, I do tell her but I don’t think she remembers when I do.
I can’t claim her pension at the moment until poa goes through. Then I need to go to bank with it, then I need to get the account switched to a card. She old fashion and using a bank book.
Luke, who told you to do this?? The POA will probably be invalid as she has dementia!
What you need to do is to become her DWP “appointee”. It’s usually a simple and straightforward process for someone who cannot manage her pension herself. You MUST set up a separate bank account for her money alone, and all her bills etc. should be paid via this account. Just pay everything via a card attached to the account.
I can’t rememb er if she owns or rent the house. Can you remind me please?
Will her pension cover all her outgoings?
We took the advice I read online. But she hasn’t been diagnosed yet.
I set up a starling bank account where all bills come out but it’s in my name. Remember I live with her.
She Rents
Pension covers a bit, I also work so I contributed too.