Mom doesn't always take direction well. I think this is due to a combination of meds and the dementia. She needs additional supervision. They do not provide one on one care. I spend two evenings a week at the nursing home. I am at my wits end with other responsibilites and work. I can't spend anymore time at the nursing home, and I am not in a position to afford private care. She is on a dementia floor. I am loathe to think about moving her somewhere else. I think it will be more of the same. Has anyone else had this problem? For all the money that is being paid for her care, why can't they figure out a way to properly care for her? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...I have already had a meeting with the nursing home care giving team. They seem to be at a loss for what to do....
Can Mom pay for additional aides out of her assets or income?
I have a friend whose father had a personal care attendant 40 hours a week in his nursing home. This was paid for out of his insurance.
Nursing homes can seldom provide one-on-one care, and that sometimes seems to be what some dementia patients need. If Mom (not you) cannot afford this, have additional meetings with her care team, with input from her doctor if possible. What are the alternatives are available? Is there a particular time of day when extra help is needed? Are there any volunteer organizations that might be able to cover those hours?
Another possibility is additional training for the staff that is there. Mom doesn't take direction well. This must be common among dementia patients. Unfortunately the time the staff can spend with any one patient is limited, but perhaps some refresher training could help them be more effective in the time they do have. If you suggest this, be very careful to offer it as a constructive suggestion and avoid sounding like you are criticizing. You want to work together as a team to come up with the best solutions ... not set up an adversarial relationship.
My caregiver support group was recently contacted by a facility that was looking for a presentation about dementia. We contacted our national organization and they provided material, an outline, etc. Two of us are going to go provide a session. We LOVE that kind of request. This might be a way the nursing home could improve staff coping skills at very little cost.
My heart goes out to you all. This is a distressing challenge that happens frequently. I hope you some up with some satisfactory approaches. Please share with us what you try and what seems to work (if anything). We learn from each other.
was eligible. Why does that not pay for proper care? I am not sure how much control I have over the situation as a whole. I have been advocating for mom, but the options seem limited.