Anybody had any experience with this? We were just notified by the nursing home that my 94 year old grandma, who has dementia and possibly Alzheimer's and is wheelchair bound, has been kicking, hitting, and trying to bite the CNA's when they go in to assist her to the bathroom, etc. We are wondering how much longer this can possibly go on.
Then there are the times when I am tired of getting scratched and bitten and spit at and hit and kicked. We have gone through 17 caregivers in 7 years because of her violence.
So, I have become inventive...and patient,
I always wear long sleeves when caring for her. I have long hair that I always wear up. I sometimes put oven mitts on her to cut down on the scratching. I keep her nails short and clean to cut down on infection when she breaks the skin. The care giver and I joke about granny the prize fighter. I try distracting her with a stuffed bear we named Peggy Ann. U reassure her that she is safe and loved. I sing to her.Most importantly, I have learned to walk away, give her time to calm down and try again. Sometimes nothing works and I take a beating. She is afraid of a world she no longer understands. I think that would make me want to lash out too.
I know these words don't help. I don't have any answers. We have tried meds. They knock her out and she wakes up long enough to beat us up. All I can really do here is tell you I empathize.I am with you. Sometimes you need to walk away and try again later. A wonderful nurse once told me, "what is waiting really going to hurt?" The answer in the big picture is..."waiting hurts nothing". If that doesn't work, there's always oven mitts. Stay safe!