Welcome to my blog. My name is Lizzie and this is a diary of my Mums dementia, the people who I mention in my entries are John my husband, Michael my brother, Teresa my sister and Dib and Daph who are mums brother and sister-in-law.... It has been a hard struggle and I have written a diary all through every step of her progress deeper into the illness.




Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Saturday 16th - Sunday 24th October 2010

Saturday 16th October 2010

Tina from Park View phoned to say that they had found mum on the floor wrapped in a blanket and asked if mum had been sleeping in a double bed at home, I told her that she had, she said the the beds there were quite small. I wondered it we could get mum a bigger bed, she said that she would have a word with Daphne, the unit manager, on Monday. (thankfully mum did not hurt herself)

I phoned Michael and talked to him about a bigger bed and he thought that it was a good idea.

We went into see mum and they had decided to use a bed guard, mum was in the Dining Room and she was very confused and did mention home but we managed to change the subject and we said lets go to your room. I said 'you have a small house now' and she said 'yes, I have' I put her cover on her duvet and put it on the bed I did wonder if it would be too hot for a duvet as it is very hot in her room. We went back and sat in the dining room. Karen one of the carers came in and mum asked her is she was 'the one – you know, we were a long time' She had remember that Karen had been with her but not where they had been (it had been when she went to the hospital).

While we were in the dining room I noticed that her purse was on the table, I told mum that it was her purse and one of the other ladies said that there wasn't anything in it, when I looked inside it she had a small bar of melted chocolate and in the zipper part there were 3 broken biscuits and a folded up photo of Frankie (Lissa's little boy)

John didn't come in with me as he had a really nasty cold, he sat outside in the car mum saw him and waved and tried to open the window, she was OK when I left.

Mum seems to have a chesty cough, I asked Tina about it and she said that if it continues she would ask the doctor to see her, she did say that they had several of the residence with coughs since they had put the central heating on.

I text Michael to tell him that we had been in.

Tuesday 19th October

We picked Teresa up from work and went into Park View, Sharon Hale from Social Services was coming to assess mum to see how she was settling in, she was waiting in the dining room when we arrived. (JJ went off for a walk while we saw Sharon Hale)

We went along to mums room, Daphne came with us, mum was very confused and thought that she recognised Sharon Hale but when she said to mum that the last time she had seen her was at mums house, mum looked puzzled and said 'what house?. She said that mum had shown her garden to her, mum said 'what garden?' Sharon said that it was probably for the best that mum didn't remember her house and garden

the only thing that was mentioned was about mum not being able to go outside as she used to love going out everyday, Daphne said that mum could go out in the garden whenever she wanted to, there was no problem with that, Daphne said that mum was a 'poppet' and a pleasure to look after.

When Sharon left, Teresa went out with her and asked her what would happen if mum got worse and she needed nursing care she said that the top up would be higher but mum would probably be able to go upstairs in the care home for nursing care.

We went into the dining room with mum and when John came back he made mum laugh and she seemed happy. We left her just as they were going to have lunch.

Noticed that mum needed new slippers so will get some when I go into town on Friday

Saturday 23rd October

We picked Laura up and took her in with us to see mum, Mum was pleased to see Laura, she was in the dining room having a cup of tea when we got there, she wasn't dressed properly, when we were walking mum to her room one of the carers told us that she was just coming to give mum and wash and get her changed, mum had got up and dressed herself, when we got to her room the carer had all mums clothes ready on her bed, I told the carer that it was OK that I would do it.

Mum wanted to go to the loo, I left her until she had finished, when I went back in she had the towel in her hand, she said that she was going to 'wipe herself' with it, I told her that 'no' she must use toilet roll not the towel, when I looked she had a very 'messy' hand and had quite a job to get her to wash her hands. I got her dressed and she told everyone that she was going out, so we took her over to the Costa coffee shop, she enjoyed her cup of tea and slice of cake. When we took her back Daphne told us that mum had been very confused this morning and had forgotten to put her skirt on,mum had enjoyed going out but also was pleased to go back.

While we were out we saw a chocolate Labrador, she made a fuss of it and said that it was just like Judy her dog that she had about 10 years ago.

Sunday 24th October

I phoned Daph and she said that they had gone into see mum yesterday they had got there no long after we had left, Dib, Daph, Peter, Sue and Bobbi had gone in. Daph is still sure that mum keeps thinking about her house, I said that I didn't think that she really remembered, she knows that she used to live somewhere else but is quite happy that she now lives there. I said to Daph that Teresa says that she hates leaving mum when she goes and she said that she does too, I said that I am OK
leaving her but hated it when she lived at home. Daph said that she would love to pick her up and take her home and make it 'normal' again.

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