My mom has Frontal Temporal Dementia, and one of the affects of this is behavioral issues. we are looking for a nursing home for her and have been recently denied because of the type of dementia it is. we have 3 weeks before her care givers leaves and have no place that will accept her. she really doesnt have major behavior issues now, but my guess that the facilities are worried if things change. would a behavioral hospital be an option? and if yes, what are the steps on getting her admitted?
When she was in rehab a few years ago, they wanted to drug her up to keep her"safe". But they really wanted to "chemically restrain" her because they could not legally even use a lap belt on a wheelchair to keep her safe. She is beyond doing anything for herself, but is still in constant motion from the time she gets up until she goes to bed at night.
I have to hold her down when toileting and washing and dressing her, as she will try to get up numerous times a minute. It's like she knows she has to do something or be somewhere and can't stop herself from trying to get to whatever, constantly. It would not be conducive for her to be placed anywhere without them drugging her silly to keep her safe. They don't have any one on one staffed facilities here.
People like our mom's are a definite liability to them!
Jeanne, once again, thanks for the link to this type of dementia! I am even more confused about the PD diagnosis than I was before, These symptoms seem to fit Mom since day one! the rigidity of muscles with PD like tremors sounds more like Mom. And her left side is the weak one. When she is tired or stressed, the left arm and leg are just like stiff sticks of wood! And her entire body gets stiff like a board when she is stressed out.
I guess I will have a lot of questions for the neurologist at her next appointment! I don't think there would have been a lot of difference in her treatment, but it will be nice to know why she does some of the things she does.
The behavioral and language difficulties and constant rubbing and patting, etc. all sound more like this kind of dementia too. Guess I was so busy keeping her out of trouble all these years, that I just took it for granted that the doctors were right.
Gal, it will take a special place to keep mom without drugging her up to keep her out of trouble. Staffing is never really what it should be for the clients to get the proper care. The CNAs that do most of the work in facilities are very good and do their best, but their hands are tied when it comes to really helping. They are too busy caring for way too many patients during their shift.
I hope you can find some kind of solution. You might want to check with your local senior center. There is always a person on staff that will have all the pertinent information necessary for all issues related to seniors. At least it's a good place to start for finding local agencies that can help you. Good luck!
Look into places that can handle continuum care all the way up through hospice and death. Look at memory care sites because they are setup to handle the particular difficulties with dementia - all of them.
Personally, if I was in constant motion I would want my kids to approve medication to settle me. That's just me though. It sounds exhausting for patient and caregiver.
If a nursing home that takes Medicaid tries to discharge a patient because of dementia behaviors, that doesn't sound legal to me. They can't just dump old people on the sidewalk because their disease is progressing. That sounds like bad facility management and I would also work with the Better Business Bureau too.
And just because they say they are discharging does not mean you have to show up and pick her up. DO NOT do that and assume responsibility. Let them discharge her to the emergency room and explain to social services why. Or if they really do turn her out on the sidewalk, call the police and APS to report a vulnerable adult/elder abuse by the facility.