Psych evaluation.
My Mom has been in a nursing home for about a month now. She was diagnosed with dementia in 2010. She was needing 24/7 care when her name came up on a waiting list for a nursing home. We had to take it. She is NOT happy there, very confused and asks us when she is going home every day...but she was asking to go 'home' when she was in the home she's been in for 47 years, prior to going in the nursing home. She is raming doors, pounding on walls and sceaming to go home, that she doesn't belong there, that they are trying to kill her. She did escape the facilityabout 2 wks ago, took off out the parking lot and down the street with her walker. An Aide stayed with her and told me that my Mom thought they were kidnapping her and were now after her family. They increased her buspar (anxiety med) and changed her from adavan to seraquel (a sedative)and the delusions continue along with her anger. They called me (her POA Healthcare) to say they want to send her to a Psych Hospital then changed their mind, after my sister and I had a meeting with them, and said they would do it on site with a Psych Dr. Has anyone experienced this? Wondering if she should go to a Psych Hospital or let the nursing home try to do it. The nurses do not seem happy trying to handle her now that they've started the reduction of seroquel. They probably do not have time. I don't know how it would be in a Psych hospital but I'm asuming they have more time, can monitor her better, and possibly keep her calmer until they can figure out the best meds for her...except it will be confusing to be in another new place, she may not be able to come back to the nursing home she's in (they charge $250.00 to hold the bed and we cant afford that) so that would be another adjustment for her when she gets out. We want to help her with the best possible outcome...just not sure what that might be and its very upsetting to me to hear the nursing home tell me how bad she is and that she could harm herself or others.
How long had Mom been on seroquil? it is a funny funny drug, in fact an anti psychotic and can have the opposite effect to that desired. Clearly the medications need to be reevaluated by a geriatric psychiatrist so that is what you should push for. It may take several weeks for any changes to become effective. Apart from the safety issue it does not really matter where Mom stays and she will certainly be confused by any change of location
My mom was on seroquel, an antipsychotic, not a sedative, before tge psych hospital. That no longer worked for her so she is now on respiradol. Let the psych pros figure it out. They are very specialized and can best determine what will work for her.