One night in a memory care unit

It is a long story but I ended up sleeping overnight in a memory care unit with my DH Sunday night. He is in a special locked ward for people who need care and supervision. He is in late stage 7 of mixed dementia.

The experience was traumatic for me. I stayed because the boiler malfunctioned and when I arrived on Sunday morning he was red faced, covered in sweat and blankets. The temperature in his room was between 84 and 86. No one working that day can tell if someone is too hot or too cold of if they can they don't do anything about it. The building remained hot until sometime Tuesday.

The windows In his room only opened an inch or two so I removed the window latches and opened the window wide to let in cool air, which benefited everyone in the unit.

Latches are required on the windows to prevent them from opening all the way and numerous attempts were made to close the windows and to put the latches back on, which is why I stayed. Staff was far more concerned with open windows than they were with a little old man dying of heat exhaustion.

I was also able to check on my DH often and adjust blankets as needed. He is near the end of his journey and I am told he will likely enter stage 8 soon.

There is no one on call over the weekend to respond to emergencies and of course the thermostats, windows and doors are locked leaving everyone trapped inside.

It was a very uncomfortable and hot night for me sleeping in a recliner. The night staff turned on all the overhead lights every few hours and changed my DH even if he didn't need it. She wasn't very gentle either. He screamed in pain. His right side is tender due to falling out of bed. He was terrified and so was I.

State law requires that there is someone awake in the ward all night. I am pretty sure I was the only one awake all night. At one point I walked past the sleeping nurses aid and left the unit. She was sleeping in a chair near the door.

There have also been numerous problems with the food and getting enough to eat and drink but that is the subject of a separate complaint.

There is more and I am filing a compliant. I doubt it will matter but I feel like I have to.

There is some good news too. On Monday he moves out and into a hospice facility. No matter what happens I will never forget my night in the memory care unit.

It has been a long journey for us. I have been a 24 X 7 caregiver until February of this year when he was briefly hospitalized and then sent to transitional care for almost two months. He has spent the last six months in memory care, and the for the last two months he has been receiving hospice care.