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Wubba1108 Posted February 2019

Things are about to get difficult & heartbreaking. Mom has to be placed in a facility and she's never going to forgive me.

Some of you may remember me. I've posted previously about having moved my 90 yr old (soon to be 91) mom across the state to live with us last April. She was no longer able to maintain her house, her expenses, or herself. Moving in to our home was the only option she would agree to, so we put our entire living room in storage & that's now her room. We only have a kitchen, bathroom, & 3 bedrooms now. Then we spent $15k to renovate the entire (only) bathroom in our home to make it completely handicap compliant. Shortly after mom arrived, the cognitive issues she'd successfully masked all came into view. We knew she had physical limitations when we opened our home to her, but the cognitive stuff really blindsided us.


Her long time physician was a real trip and danced around the idea of "potential cognitive decline" for months. I wanted so badly to cut bait and find a better doctor closer to us, but all the physicians in mom's network had waiting lists for new patients, so we had to do our best with her existing doctor for a time. It wasn't until I walked into that office with three pages of behavioral observations we noted over a span of 5 months that the doctor finally gave mom a mini mental health assessment and confirmed the official diagnosis of dementia. But that's all the doctor told me - dementia - not what type, not what stage. But at least it was a start.


Finally, in late-January 2019 we got the good news that mom was accepted as a new patient by a GREAT local doctor. Whew! Having someone who's proactive is a breath of fresh air! Reviewing copies of mom's medical records has been a real eye-opener. There were periodic entries over the decades made by her previous doctor that mention likely bipolar illness and probably a form of personality disorder (BPD is noted - borderline personality disorder). Mom was given multiple referrals to a psychiatrist but always refused treatment. I never knew any of this until last month. Surprise! I always thought something was wrong with me that I just couldn't manage to keep our relationship happy. *sigh* Needless to say, I'm absolutely in therapy now to sort this all out.


We have a geriatric social worker hired and a full neurological exam scheduled to pinpoint exactly what stage & type of dementia we're working with. Yesterday the social worker discussed facilities with us and wants to take us for tours. She has concerns that our house isn't well-suited to someone with advancing cognitive decline and that it would also become a severely isolating and confusing experience for our two young kids. Additionally, neither my husband or I can stop working our full time jobs. Mom came to us with nothing. We're covering all of her costs and ours at the moment and frankly, we need every penny we can earn.


Mom knows she's declining, and yet is defensive about it and in denial. I can't really blame her. I'd feel the same. We haven't had any conversations about care facilities or the like in ear shot of her. But I know she's thinking about it because she confronted me with serious hostility out of nowhere last weekend. Saturday morning she woke up angrier than I've ever seen her & told me if I ever put her in a home she'd hate me even more than she already does. Then she said that once she's gone, she's going to haunt our house and everyone in it for the remainder of our days. THANK GOD our kids weren't around. The haunting comment would've scared the absolute heck out of them. It sure sent chills up my spine. A few hours later, it was like none of that had happened.


Today I'm feeling quite horrible knowing that if the neurological report shows moderate to severe dementia (like we think it will), I'm going to blow what's left of our relationship out of the water permanently when I tell her she's being admitted to a facility as soon as we find one. She's never going to forgive me for that. Our relationship has always been fragile. I don't see how it withstands this. What a way to end it

GAinPA Mar 2019
Don't dwell on thoughts of being a bad person because she is furious with you right now. Your relationship with your mother is one of caregiving. It is a journey. You are in the middle of it right now.

mamasdaughter Mar 2019
This makes me so sad and as I said before, my wonderful Mom passed away 1 month ago. Her doctor of 30 years retired and previous to that, she listened to everything he said for as long as she could remember more than 30 seconds after a conversation. I kept telling her...remember that Dr.(his name), said you needed to not drive anymore or it would be nice for you to simplify your life, etc. Then when the time came to move I told mom that it will be so nice to have assistance with anything you need. NEVER EVER did I say the words "nursing home". Mom never was in a "nursing home or skilled nursing". She was in a residential group home setting and passed away in the hospital, while her home was at that wonderful home. But I would venture to say that even if she needed "skilled nursing", she would be at a stage of dementia where she wouldn't know anyway! Can you imagine what these elderly demented people go through and how they feel not remembering (knowing) why they are there, know no one, and of course, always want to go home. "Home" I believe is a place that is familiar to them. In my moms case, it was at her childhood home. She even told me the address. My mom sold that home in 1970! Another thing to remember is that if your loved one needs hospice care at home, the residential home or assisted living IS their home and short of having feeding tubes, they can usually stay there till the end. I did not know for sure what caused my mom to aspirate her food, causing that hospital stay. But since dementia robs its victims of everything, including for some, how to swallow ...that was the reason. Doctors cleared her lungs for the most part, only to fill up again. That and the low oxygen and high BP that turned to low BP were signs, as well. I was told she had 1 week to 1 month to live. I met with hospice so she could go back to the memory care under their care the following day at 1:00pm. She passed away at 10:00am that following day, in the hospital. I miss her terribly and all the times I spent with her, making her happy.
I wish you the best and I hope that in a few weeks, you will feel more at peace with your decision...that in my opinion, is totally necessary. Going for a visit, taking her favorite food, watching an old movie with her, doing a puzzle, squeezing the chocolates for her favorite, calling friends/ family for her to talk to and looking at photos...is what you could be doing a couple times a week...not going out of your mind with worry every day.
I realize that all forms of dementia and its victims take a different path...I just hope that my way of joining my moms world during our visits will help you in some way.

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Photographer Feb 2019
This is quite interesting...as I had personally asked if my 93 year old Grandmother, was checked out in detail before being pulled out of her house by the police...doped up at the local hospital psych ward....and labeled with dementia. I asked them what stage is she, and what kind? They proceeded to tell me that dementia has no “kinds or stages". And that those details only apply to Alzheimer's. I haven't been here long enough to navigate properly through comments...meaning that I'm a bit confused where the next one is, or where one is that's directed to me, ect.
But, I would very much like to know what results you get from an actual neurologist. As far as kind and stage. I have always felt that such a fast label of dementia was given to my grandmother without many tests. Considering that I DO know she had a urinary infection when taken in....she is EXTREMELY hard of hearing. I believe these things alone could be mistaken for dementia. My grandmother also has a (faded) history of symptoms of mental illness through the years. These were heard in hindsight too.
But, replying to the part of your post that struck me the deepest......
It was wonderful for you to take her into your home. Not alot of people could do that. And IF they do, it very often ends in a nursing facility because it becomes too much, or other things in one's life make it impossible. But quite bluntly...this is sad. Watching them with dementia is sad. The process of caring for them is sad. This whole thing is sad but it happens and it's just unbearable to watch the ones we love go through the process of even just aging. First, I realize your relationship is delicate. But I would like you to know that if you put guilt on yourself, it gets much worse. You love her. I know that because you moved her into your home. These are very difficult situations, and you are not a bad person. They do not like it, no, and in my (our) case there was alot of yelling at my mother. (Who put her in the facility). It hurts terribly. But you want her safe. You love her enough to want her safe. I know they don't understand that reasoning. They sometimes think we are just “locking them up". The only thing I can think of to say to you is this- the whole process for me, was upsetting. That didn't include the yelling my grandma did. I cried alot. I thought I was terrible because if my mom puts her in a home, maybe I could bring her to live with me. And if I didn't do that, then I wasn't a very good granddaughter. But my home isn't big enough. I just got married & that would put stress there before we even get a chance. (Oh, I'm 50, wasn't sure if the word "granddaughter" made me sound young) lol.
I also am on disability for spinal problems and even if I did bring her here, I couldn't help her much with the difficulty that she has walking too.
I had to be realistic. I had to do a lot of self compassion work. I had to forgive myself for not being able to do what my mind was telling me I "should" do. I was lucky tho as my grandma was more angry at my mother who had her pulled out of her apt by the police. I believe that could have been done a different way and done with much more gentleness and compassion. But Grandma DID refuse all help. She refused to talk to the doctor about it and it escalated to that.
All I can say is that I'm sorry you have to go through this. I'm sorry we all do. Please don't be hard on yourself. We have very little choices when these times come, but a good safe facility is sometimes the answer. You ARE doing your best. Even though they may not understand, we can't blame ourselves. There is nobody or anything on this Earth that will give us so much of a terrible time as our own minds.
I wish you comfort, send you love, and hope things work out well for all of you. I wish you gentleness on yourself as much as you wish it for your mother. I don't have answers for your situation any more than my own. But I hope things work out. I send you so many positive thoughts! 🙂

Llamalover47 Feb 2019
disgustedtoo: Apparently, the "reply to" only is applicable in some posts. Idk why.

disgustedtoo Feb 2019
First off, what has happened to the "reply to" in some posts? This one is missing (have seen this in other threads too)!

Yes indeed, care-giving, whether in-home, with or without assistance is taxing, both financially and emotionally/physically. MANY people cannot afford even what you have managed to do (and acknowledge that even with two good paying careers it is difficult!) It is almost equivalent to trying to get good child care without it taking up one's whole net income!

I can't speak for my brothers, but I am certainly grateful that my parents were thrifty enough that there is enough to provide mom's care (I manage it and there should be enough now, after sale of the condo, to provide more than 10 years of care, including increases and she is 95 now.). They traveled, had a second condo in FL and spent plenty of money on things (esp mom and her clothes, shoes, handbags!!!), so they were not penny-pinchers, but still had a nice nest egg. I am retired and there is NO WAY I could afford to pay any of those fees (EC, or facility.) One brother is also semi-retired, so no help there either. The younger brother is working, but has two girls in college, so it would be a stretch for him to provide much!

Even sadder is that the ones who provide the hands-on care, aka do the REAL work, are pretty much the lowest paid people in the whole system. Any wonder why some are not exactly up to our standards? Sure, there are plenty of good care-givers, despite the low pay, but it is hard to keep good help when their pay is not enough to keep them to a good living standard!

Consider your EC fee relatively good. We paid for the trust, POA, etc from mom's account, and it was a set amount. Because we had a special life-estate for the condo and had to sell it (over 14k/year just for taxes and condo fees - too much to just let it sit, and that doesn't include the repairs that had to be made!!!), we had to use that attorney for closing - $400/hour!!! Down side for you is that mom doesn't have the funds to cover these costs. Again, consider, as Wubba1108 pointed out, how others cannot even do this much, as they don't make enough to cover those costs!

As you pointed out, hiring in-home care is VERY expensive, and actually ends up costing more than a facility (if you need 24/7 care.) $300/day = $109,500/year! $25/hour for 24/7 care is even worse ($219,000.) Granted it would be much less if one only needs certain hours covered, but still, the average person/family cannot afford this! Consider how many people are here and how many more there are out there who haven't found this forum yet who are struggling with elder care!!

Those who have the strength and provide all care for your LO, all blessings and kudos to you! Those who can afford to give mom and/or dad the care they need, same to you. Moms and/or dads who wisely set aside something, hazzah to you!!! For the rest, our deepest sympathies.

Wubba1108 Feb 2019
The biggest lesson of all this so far? Caregivers need MORE RESOURCES and financial support afforded to them. Yes, I am blessed to have found this geriatric social worker. But I'm also blessed that my husband and I both have good careers because this professional costs $150 an HOUR. Even with our good jobs, we'll only be able to sustain this service for only so long so we need to be efficient and constantly assessing what is worth her time and what we need to figure out for ourselves. Add in the Elder Estate Attorney ($250/hour) to navigate us through the Medicaid process, the in-home caregiver ($300/day) during our vacation, the home health aides ($25/hour), and the fact that our utility bills alone have increased by almost 60% since mom moved into our home and, the finances alone are not for the faint of heart. Mom had no retirement plan. I made more part time in college 20+ years ago than she makes now. What if my husband and I didn't have our careers to lean on for financial resources in this mess? We'd be lost. Every day I think of those trying to provide care with far less and I truly hope the grace of god shines down upon them in their time of need. As hard as it is, we are the lucky ones and I hope I never take that for granted. Society needs to do more to help those in need. No doubt about that.

Llamalover47 Feb 2019
Wubba: Such great news!

TerriLou Feb 2019
In my opinion, you've done more than enough for your mother already. The whole situation, and dementia are complicated further by mental illness.  I'm dealing with some of that with my husband.  I would fear for you and your children's mental and physical health.  You've done all you can; it's time to put her in a safe place and take care of your own finances and mental health. You can't change what she will say and think of it all, and it sounds like she's already verbally abusing you.  I had a big struggle taking the keys from my husband when the doctor said no more driving; I am not looking forward to taking debit and credit cards, but I will do it when the time comes.  And I surely do not look forward to placing him later on, that will be a huge fight, but I must work, and I intend to.  I am working extremely hard to focus on myself and my health right now while he is still living at home. I'll make sure he is taken care of, but my health counts too.  Prayers and best of luck to you in all your decision making.

Treeartist Feb 2019
I just read the entire thread and the OP’s recent post. I am awed from all the great advice and insights offered.
Wubba, there is so much hope in your last post. Finding that geriatric social worker is a God-send. I don’t remember anyone like her in the years and years of caregiving for my parents. What a blessing!

I was struck by what your therapist told you - that you were “an ‘unfortunate’ coping mechanism” for your mother’s mental illness throughout your life. I can very much relate to that as my mother suffered from Bipolar Disorder (previously called Manic/Depression) for as long as I could remember. I believe that is what caused me to detach emotionally and at times, physically from her. It was a self-preservation move to keep from being drawn into her mental illness. She and my father have been sharing a room in a nursing “community” (I like that term!) for the past year, and it is remarkable that I have been recently experiencing feelings of love and affection for her that I have not felt in over 40 years.

Isthisrealyreal Feb 2019
That is great news Wubba, you were blessed to find this wise woman.

Have a great trip to Disney!

BarbBrooklyn Feb 2019
Thanks so much for the update, Wubba!!!!

We learn from each other here.

Wubba1108 Feb 2019
Thanks for all your comments. I read every single one of them & am blown away by the support and advice you all offered so generously.

Mom's neurological evaluation is scheduled for mid-March and we've hired an amazing geriatric social worker to get us through the process. She's a perfect fit for mom. The social worker is a chaplain (my mom is a devout Catholic) and was a regional nursing home administrator for 20 years before opening her own practice. She came highly recommended. Her 1st meeting with mom is this week and she's going to start it off by administering communion and praying with mom. The goal of the first few appointments will be to develop trust with my mom and have an opportunity to get to know her. The cognitive evaluation (which the social worker arranged for) will be the next step. Once we have those findings reported, the social worker will present us with a long term care plan and timelines for our review. We'll have toured local facilities by that point, so that information combined with the cognitive report will have us prepared to begin the transition. The social worker told me yesterday that she can see why I'm such a mess right now. As she put it, I'm flying blind. I don't know the specifics of what's wrong with mom, what progression I should expect, or what the local options look like. It's no wonder I'm uneasy about everything. She feels the neurological report will make things crystal clear and I'll be viewing the situation from a place of knowledge. According to her, that'll help immensely.

I knew I loved her, though, when she told me that if mom's really uncooperative, she won't hesitate to come for a visit with a local priest and let him have a talking with her about what's in her long term best interests. Genius.

As some of you suggested, the social worker does not feel I'm the right person to guide the transition to a memory care community when the time comes. After speaking with my therapist, she believes that I was an "unfortunate" coping mechanism for my mom's mental illness throughout my life and that there's too much history of manipulation between us. Mom is never going to cooperate with me and my role in this situation needs to be a supporting one - I need to lead from the shadows and let the "team" (doctors, social worker, priests, etc) appear to be the true guiding forces in all this.

It'll all take time. The short term band-aid proposed by the social worker is adult day programs at local memory care facilities. She feels getting mom out of our house 2-3x/week will benefit the rest of the household far more than home health aides.

We had made booked a trip to Disney for the kids before all this happened with mom. I was thinking I had to cancel it but the social worker insists that it's a must for our family's mental health. She's working on finding an in-home caregiver for that week and is urging us to take this break before the tough work begins. She commented that this trip has the added benefits of getting me out of mom's line of vision so that mom's "team" can work with her directly without the "crutch" that I provide to mom's mental state.

By the time we return from our trip, we'll have a clearer picture of mom's health status, a direct understanding of the nearby facilities that are available, and will have provided the social worker our feedback on the community options she's shown us. Then we'll finalize the long term plan and mom's "team" - neurologist, social worker, doctor and priests will step in and begin directing the transition.

Toadhall Feb 2019
Call it a retirement community, because when elders think of a facility they think about something horrible. Once you tour some of the places, you might want to take her to one of the free lunches at the place. When my relative had mild dementia, they were dead set against moving. I took them to the free lunch, they saw the place and they could not move fast enough. Maybe it will work out for you. Ultimately we, as adults, need to do what is best for our relative and accept the consequences. In my experience, once the person is at the community for a while, they are no longer angry or at least less angry with you. Be thankful you have a supportive husband--tell him how much you appreciate him. As for the kids, grandmom is going to say some disturbing things in their presence at some time regardless of where she lives. Be ready with an age appropriate explaination of her behaviour. You might want to consult a psychologist about this. Hang in there.

pargirl Feb 2019
I agree with Reno55.....I still call it a facility but was corrected several times by different places when looking for my mom that they prefer to be called a community. I do like that better and in assisted living it really is. In memory care not so much but to get your mom there it's nice to say. Makes it sounds like family or retirement resort (not that your mom won't be horrible anyway but still it could help).

mathisawesome Feb 2019
I'm sorry. I see this entire situation in my future. Wish I could help. Stay strong.

Countrymouse Feb 2019
Just get it done, Wubba.

Then you can talk to your therapist about the yawning gulf between the relationship you longed for, and the one you actually had, and still have, with your mother. And with your mother no longer dominating your house, you might even be able to hear yourself think about what your therapist helps to make clear.

This will be okay, you know. Have faith. You can come to a realistic assessment of a person, and recognise certain truths, and still love her. I would even say that the love you feel must have greater validity, surely, when it isn't hidden in the FOG.

Whatever you have recently discovered and however much your understanding changes, your mother is still your mother and it is right that you go on caring about her, as you will. She still has real needs, physical, social and emotional. You will be able to supply them much more effectively, and with much less damage to the other important people in your life - including yourself - when you have all of the resources of a good facility to call on.

The main difference will be that you won't be constantly drawn back to the lifelong quest for the answer to her happiness and satisfaction. Which, as I'm sure you accept by now, does not really exist. Letting go of it properly, decisively, will be very difficult for you because it has always seemed so real, just out of reach; but then that's what therapy is for. Keep going :)

disgustedtoo Feb 2019
Reno55;

"Try not to call it a facility. If it is assisted living, some of these are like resorts- if it is one of those kind, call it the resort and try to "take advantage" of all the activities with her. It might change her outlook."
More than likely it wouldn't matter if you called it the Taj Mahal. We picked out a nice place, but any discussion about moving ANYWHERE was met with adamant NO.

Also, you said: "I hope I never need memory care, but at some point, if I can afford one of those fancy assisted living places when the need arises-I won't fight."

Don't be so sure! Mom very often went on the tours and free lunches at the various ALs near where she lived. She would often say she needed to clean out/up in case she had to "get outta here." When I asked what she meant, she said AL. When the time came that she needed to move to a safe place, NOPE. We even tried bringing help in, only starting with 1 hr minimum to check on meds and safety. That lasted only a few months. She refused to let them in. In her mind she was independent, could take care of herself and could cook. Answer D: none of the above. The one time I ASKED about AL, she said PUGH, I wouldn't live in one of those places! One brother had to "trick" her into going, and although she went, it was begrudgingly and she was madder than a wet hen! That was all despite HER planning to move to AL when she needed it!!

Dementia has a mind of it's own....

disgustedtoo Feb 2019
isthisrealyreal's comment "I would not tell her she is going to a facility, I would say I am taking you to lunch and let the professionals handle the situation." is what I would also suggest.

There is no point to discussing it with her, and by not mentioning it, you won't have to argue or listen to her useless threats. Our mom would not consider moving ANYWHERE. The staff had told us to just get her there, they would handle it going forward.

It might also be good to stay away for a while, maybe 2 weeks, before visiting. Visits - how often and when and for how long - can be dealt with later. You may have to limit those as well, depending on how she adjusts. Staff can help by letting you know if there are better times of day for her (some people have sun-downing, and become unreasonable later in the day, but are good in the morning. Others might just be unreasonable any time of day!) If she starts on you during a visit, pack up and leave.

Arm yourself by reading up on dementia. Much of what she is saying/doing is the conditions she has talking. Don't take any of it to heart! However, she is not going to get any better (some medications can tone down some of the behavior, but it will progress), so you need to do what's best to protect yourself AND your children! Taking in a parent or another loved one is done with the best of intentions, but when that person is unmanageable it will not work. It was great for our grandmother, but she was easy to take care of and did not have dementia.

Don't worry about ruining your "relationship". It is what it is - clearly it was never the greatest. Whatever she says and does before, during and after moving her, don't take on the guilt. It is not anything you've done, so none of it is your fault. If she threatens to hate you or haunt you, remember they are just idle threats. She can say she hates you, but she can't haunt you (unless you let her!)

I knew there was no way I could live with my mother (brothers thought it was a great idea to take her in after hearing the cost of the facility!! AHAHAHA, never happened and that was for the best too!) No guilt. I ensure she is in a good place, well cared for and take care of everything else, so I've done what I can. You can only do what you are able to and keeping her in your home is NOT the best option.

One more thing - regarding expenses you have incurred: I would talk to an Elder Care attorney and/or a tax accountant (I found an Enrolled Agent, look up what this is online) to see if you can deduct any of the cost of care or modifications made for your mom. Usually EC atty will do an initial consult free of charge. S/he can also assist in signing up for Medicaid. EA should also be able to answer questions about the expenses, and if need be, handle the tax prep.

Llamalover47 Feb 2019
Beekee got it! Spot on accurate response! Beekee, you are a genius.

BetseyP Feb 2019
If she has dementia she'll forget she "hates" you and feel something else. It would be good to separate your job as a caregiver from your history as a kid. That history is clouding your decision making. When she's in a facility she'll get lots more care and will be much safer than being alone while you work.
I cared for my folks for 11 years and my relationship w/ my mother got worse and worse. We were both operating from 60 years' old frustrations when she had 8 children and I was the oldest, so the helper.
As an elderly person she said "no" to everything! When we moved her to AL she was cared for by very nice, but a rotating staff of nurses aides that she couldn't distinguish among. She still says no, but she smiles and gives in. She's happier than she has been since she married my Dad.
I guess the bottom line is that if your mother has dementia, all the nasty talk is about your very old relationship when she had control over you, a kid; her feeling of powerlessness; and the nasty feeling of losing her mind. Her care is what is paramount, followed secondly by your sanity. Ignore her rants and find a place where she'll be cared for, be safe and you can resume a reasonable family life.
Good luck and blessings.

Beekee Feb 2019
Let me get this straight. If I impoverish myself and jeopardize my sanity trying to care for my mother with dementia, and she still has to go to nursing home, I get sympathy and prayers. But if I plan ahead to legally take control of demented mom's assets, sell mom's house, move her to another state, and eventually place her in a nursing home, I am the bad guy because I'm not doing what mom would've wanted.

nebbish1964 Feb 2019
First of all, ... you are a great daughter to your Mom especially because of your fragile relationship. But because of her mental state, she doesn't see it that way. Trust me...she will as time gets away from her and doesn't mean anything anymore. You would think that she does sound a little bipolar when she forgets in the afternoon what she has said in the morning, but that's just the dementia. Mom won't even know where she is or be able to consider how much you have done to get the best care for her. The advantage that you have on your side is that she has dementia, no matter what kind. And her memory will progressively get worse. You and your family have given more than you should have to accommodate your Mom. In her day, nursing homes and those kinds of facilities had spurious connotations. My 95 year old mother told me that if I ever put her in a nursing home, she would "do" something to herself. Well, she hasn't yet and I don't think she will. We used the words "memory care" facility to her and that seemed to make a difference. Good luck. And, you're right, it won't be easy, but it is doable. Peace.

Reno55 Feb 2019
Try not to call it a facility. If it is assisted living, some of these are like resorts- if it is one of those kind, call it the resort and try to "take advantage" of all the activities with her. It might change her outlook. I hope I never need memory care, but at some point, if I can afford one of those fancy assisted living places when the need arises-I won't fight.

Ljanoe Feb 2019
my heart goes out to you. Such a complex and difficult situation. I think that many people here have shared useful and wise thoughts. I would like to add something regarding the personality disorders that are not new but complicate the situation that you are now dealing with. There are emotional scars that come from being raised by someone with these - especially with BPD. It could be very healing for you to nurture yourself around this by reading, particating in a forum of others who have a loved one with BPD, and potentially seeing a therapist who specializes in dealing with personality disorders. A book that I found helpful - recommended to me by my therapist - is “Stop Walking on Eggshells” by Paul Mason and Randi Kreger. It has a wonderful companion workbook. The book also guides you to online forum. I wish you strength.

struggling1 Feb 2019
Hi,
Bravo for your honesty. I dont have a good/great, oh hell...even nice relationship with my mother- never did- but still struggle with doing the right thing. I had someone say to me- By trying to save one, your loosing 2. Didnt hit me at first, but the thought never went away, and believe it or not, the harder it is with her, the clearer the meaning.

I did the admiral thing, although I despise her. I was a mental wreck since childhood, ZERO self esteem, and thru the benefit of distance- I almost blew a 40 yr marriage once she moved here. I got physically sick, had heart surgery, an small stroke, went dam near broke and thats the short list!
I think your heart says Oh My, but your brain knows better. Dont take my path, take hard learned advice. Let her hate you, its fine. It wont change anything- NOTHING! UNTIL YOU let it. Your in control, you dont have dementia, BPD, why live like you do.

Hang in there girl, there are a lot of us out there, we hear you, respect you and send a few prayer your way. You got this!

GraceNBCC Feb 2019
First, you are an amazing woman and an amazing daughter. You put your love in action! So Always Remember That!

Talk to your Counselor about maybe not being there for the transfer/admission. Or be out of her site meeting with staff. This might be better.

Picking a facility:
You have two key facts for interviews of facility staff. She could not recall Day/Date/Month. She has outbursts of anger, which she does not remember later. So, ask for specifics on how they will handle her. Staff ratios and training levels for patients with her presentation! Get specifics! How will they handle it?
Do they have extensive activities to keep her engaged..based on attention span of a 2 year old? Will someone do this therapy in her room if she wants to stay in bed? Do a surprise visit around 6-7am. How many people are parked by Nursing Station for meds?..making it easier on staff vs patients.
If they don't allow a surprise visit, then you probably don't want to go there.
HIPPA does not mean you can't see any other patients or patient care, when choosing a facility. You can't ask patient names of staff, or conditions, but you can interact with them, observe them. This is very important. Remember, if a placement does not work, you can move her (breach of contract?).

I totally empathize with your issue with her previous doctor. Went through this, then with my friend Mom ( my neighbor).
Cognitive decline can mimic Psych Issues & Visa versa. Both are all about the brain...duh. From you comments about lifelong issues a Psych Diagnosis was probably involved. If her doctor bothered, he could have read DSM and had a better feel, and could have tried different meds.

Great that you have new doctors!
Regarding her anger,
Blame it on the doctor! Blame it on technology and meds were not available 10-30 years ago. She lived when there was no polio vaccine...go with that concept.

Maybe if old doctor gave her proper medicine sooner (skip that they were psych meds), this would not be happening.
You and she can not repair her damaged brain. Just like football players, they didn't know how to see the damage on tests in the past.
Also a Mini Mental Health Exam is a screening tool. In my trained opinion, you need to write State Medical Board that he did not do one until she was this far gone. Unforgivable! I am sorry, but you could find a version online or at the library. She would have flunked it a long time ago!!! He is endangering patients!!!

The point is, it is like taking your temp or BP....will indicate when something is wrong, but not what.
Soon you will know more of what, but window of effectiveness of new RXs is probably closed.
It will help to know if it was a stroke... different testing..but sounds like you have the right team now.

Don't worry about her outbursts. Glad to hear you are working on a plan to protect your mental health. She will forget. If the children overhear, have explaination ready. Work with your Counselor on this.
- She was telling Mommy a scary story.
- We we're acting...make pretend.
- Her brain got a BoBo, she doesn't know what she is saying. It happens sometimes when people get really old and sick.

🙏🙏🙏

Nancynurse Feb 2019
You may think I'm awful but when it came to placing my mother in AL I told her it was only a temporary placement until she could get more stable on her feet. I have a bad back and really am unable to handle the day to day strain of helping her. She accepted that and is now in a memory care facility. She often asks when she is going home and we usually can just change the subject. Time really has no meaning to her at this point. We sold her home and cleaned out most of her things so I only bring her items that she really needs.

kmarie60 Feb 2019
Dear Dear Wubba,

I know exactly how you feel. After my husbands stroke I faced the very same challenge.   I will make this short.   I had a dr say something to me that helped me.

He said , do you love and care for your husband. Of course I said yes. He said ok, there is no choice. For his safety and yours, it is the best thing you can do.  You are doing him no favor keeping him home. In fact, it is dangerous for him and you... emotionally and physically.

I did admit him. He was not happy at first, but he did get over it.  I was able to visit daily, which helped.  But, your mom needs to be in place she is cared for 24/7.   YOU, need to let other people help. You need to live your life as well. Do not hold on to guilt.  Know , you are doing what you NEED to do. For her and you!
xo

pargirl Feb 2019
1. I'm so sorry that you have had such a difficult mom. And now having to go through this makes it even tougher. It's hard enough to make the decision to bring someone into your home and family even if they are the nicest person ever but to have someone that has had problems all her life and disrupt your's, well....not sure I could have done it. 2. Coming from someone whose own mom had dementia for 12 plus years please hear me, she does not even remember saying that she will haunt you. Her brain is altered and things come out of their mouths that a "normal" person wouldn't say. My mom would have never used the language she used with me and and my dad but somehow, someway she came up with words that I even had to look up! When I would tell her she said it??......I MOST certainly did NOT!! Yes, the day I took her to the facility because I could no longer handle her will go down in infamy. I told her we were going for a drive (had a bag packed) (thought it would just be for a couple of weeks really just to give me and my dad some rest). Needless to say when I started to leave without her she was crying/screaming and I was crying and shaking. My situation was different though because I had had a wonderful relationship with my mom all my life and this was just plain awful. However, I knew it was the best for her , me and my dad. The facility told me not to come visit for about 2 weeks to give her time to settle in and find her new norm. The staff knows how to deal with dementia patients. I/we do not. Yes, facilities are very expensive. Medicaid, VA benefits (if her husband/s saw combat), etc. can help. Whatever you have to do, do it. You and your husband need to get your life back. She doesn't know or care what it's doing to you. I will pray that the social worker can help you find the best option/s for her AND you. Please don't worry about her forgiving you. That's not what's important here. Getting her the right help and getting your lives back is. Good luck and may God Bless.

lynina2 Feb 2019
You mention how long it took to get a great doctor for your mom. I found a great doctor for my mother. Unfortunately, when she ended up in the nursing home, she had to use the facility gp. She could keep her specialist, but not the gp. So, when you are looking for a facility, make sure that the doctor(s) associated with that facility is good.....sadly, many are not. I have no experience with a person that has BPD, but is it possible that the BPD is exacerbating for being mistaken for dementia? How can you separate the two when it appears that she isn't being treated and found a good place for the BPD?

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