Have any questions about how to use the community? Check out the Help Discussion.

How to decide if family member with cognitive decline can be allowed to stay in home, living alone.

pollybed
pollybed Member Posts: 1 Member
I am writing for advice about my sister who has been diagnosed with dementia that is vascular related, not Alzheimers. For the last five years, her declining decision making and ability to engage in executive functions, such as managing medications or finances, has become evident to me, her health care provider, and her friends and neighbor's. She has been admitted to the hospital several times when neighbors have called the police about her erratic and confused behavior. I have, after these many years, had her admitted to a residential facility. Actually, she is in the second facility within 12 months because she was removed from one facility for aggressive behaviors with another resident. She was also admitted to a psychiatric hospital two times, the last time as a result of her aggression. She is capable of self care such as bathing and dressing. She doesn’t cook and when she was removed from her house, her fridge was filled with spoiled food. She also drank heavily and did not take prescribed meds. She did work outside in her garden. Her driver’s license was revoked by the state because of her diagnosis being reported to state by her neurologist. She has clear physiological changes in her brain which indicate severe loss of executive reasoning. She is very angry and is able to write texts and emails using a cell phone which she also uses to call friends. Sometimes at all hours. She is very angry and begs to go to her home. She owns a beautiful home in a beautiful community y of people who care about her but are worn out by having to deal with her cognitive decline and behaviors. She is begging to go home and sends me 30 emails a day saying I’m trying to kill her. I live 500 miles away. I am 82’ years old and my husband is 85. I am wondering if there is any rational reason to think she could go back to her house with help. She has refused help or meals from services in the past. I am so saddened by this situation and wondering if I need to find a way to send her back to her house. As I write this, i wonder why I can’t accept she can’t go home. But I feel guilty about not finding a way to do that. What do I do here?

Comments

  • terei
    terei Member Posts: 752
    Eighth Anniversary 250 Likes 500 Comments 100 Insightfuls Reactions
    Member

    You realistically know the answer. She is not capable of living outside a facility. If you do not want to remove the phone from her, block her calls + dont read her emails. If you are her contact with the facility, make sure THEY call you if there are issues. If you allow her to continue to harass you are allowing her to affect your own health. What would you tell a friend to do if they were living with this stress? Be honest and protect yourself as much as possible. Sorry you have to live with this.

  • ARIL
    ARIL Member Posts: 250
    100 Likes 100 Comments 25 Care Reactions 25 Insightfuls Reactions
    Member

    Oh, this is so hard. I agree with @terei; you know the answer, and so do we. No, she can’t live alone even with help.

    What kind of “residential facility” is she in? Is it possible she needs a higher level of care?

    Is it time to “lose” the phone? The facility can call if an issue comes up.

    Is there direct help on the ground that could, for example, meet the ambulance at ER? It sounds as though you are in charge—with POA? It’s really tough to manage care from a distance.

    I am sorry about your sister’s condition. I know it is really hard.

  • H1235
    H1235 Member Posts: 1,327
    500 Likes 1000 Comments 250 Care Reactions 250 Insightfuls Reactions
    Member

    Welcome. No! It would not be safe. I’m sorry. My mom also has vascular dementia and severe problems with executive functioning. She seems at times as if she has no problems, but I know she wants to go home so she can pull weeds in her garden, mow the lawn, power wash the swing…. She is not capable of any of these things, but believes she is. Mom has anosognosia so bad. I will attach a link. It is the inability of a person with dementia to recognize their own symptoms or limitations. It might help to increase anxiety medication or block all her calls and just call her once a day. If she complains that you’re not answering just blame it on your phone( it’s ok to fib). Don’t let her dementia bring you down. Take care of yourself, not just physically, but mentally.


  • Victoriaredux
    Victoriaredux Member Posts: 63
    100 Likes 100 Insightfuls Reactions 100 Comments 5 Care Reactions
    Member

    While your sister's home and neighborhood sound great a lot of PWD say they want to go home when what they really are really expressing a desire to go back to a time when they felt better , could do more - surrounded by long gone family members & friends . Combine that with anosognosia about their condition and there's no way to get the issue resolved with her understanding and accepting the situation.

    I'd check with her Doctors and be sure she is on the best regiment to deal with her aggression and that her vitamin levels were checked since she had a history of heavy alcohol use . Plus her levels may have changed since I assume she doesn't get as much natural sunlight a she used to at home .

    Here is a Teepa Snow video about going home . [ 15 minutes]

    Some stray ideas - since she is on the phone a lot - is her access to her money limited so that she can't be scammed? If you are her DPOA or legal conservator look at freezing her credit report.

    If she misses gardening can she maybe container garden where she is?

    I'm really sorry you and your husband are going through this.

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
Read more