Dad was sent to psychiatric hospital

Slowly loosing it

Got a call from hospital where they told me Dad hit one of the residents today. They are sending him to psychiatric hospital to adjust his meds. Probably to sedate him. Nursing home said they would take him back if he is better with meds. He is already in 9 seroquil a day. He has never hit anyone in his whole life. I know he has to scared. At this point I am just a shell walking around. The hardest decision I ever made was putting him there. Now he is just getting worse. God help me get through this

star26

Hang in there, you will get through this and so will your Dad. I never had this experience but a lot of members here have. Everything might be a lot better once they get the medications figured out. That's what others have reported. I believe their goal will be to find just the right dosing so that your Dad is not suffering from high agitation or delusions while also making sure that he is not overly sedated. Hopefully he is in a geriatric psychiatric hospital where they will be specialized in working with dementia. This would have happened even if he were still at home and not in the nursing home because it’s caused by the disease, not his environment. It’s good news that he’s getting specialized attention right now. This is scary and upsetting enough on it’s own - but I read your profile and there is so much more that you have been dealing with. I’m not surprised you are feeling as you are. I’m glad you found this support group. There will be people here that will share their experiences and knowledge that might be helpful to you and you are guaranteed to find lots of people here that know just how you are feeling. This forum can really help with getting through the most distressing situations, like what you are in now. Post as often as you need. Sometimes it takes a few days to receive responses, especially on the weekend.  

M1

Agree with Star, you're doing all you can. Let the professionals work on your dad while you take a breath and regroup. Good luck and glad you found us.

abc123

Dear Slowly,  I’m very sorry for the loss of your sister. You are truly going through a hard time. Please continue to post here and read post by others.  As hard as this is, you are not alone. You have all of us. We are like family. We support each other and care about each other. There are many wise people here. 

My Grannie had Alzheimer’s and lived in a facility when we could no longer keep her safe. She would wander away from home and she had set two fires. She did well in the facility most of the time. But occasionally she was angry and a danger to herself and others. She was sent to a geriatric psychiatrist unit twice to have her meds tweaked. She was there two weeks each time. After she had been there one week, I was allowed to visit her, which I did both times. The staff was amazing and highly trained in dementia care. I remember feeling at ease after each visit. I know this is hard on you but please try to remember it’s the best thing for your Dad. Please let us know how you are both doing. I’m sorry your Mom is so sick. My Mom has Alzheimer’s and she’s going through a bad stage right now.  Hang in there.