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My mom is in stage 7 of Alzheimer's. There is this resident that was moved into my mom's cottage because of bad behavior problem in another cottage. She yells out all the time "help me" you can hear her scream outside the cottage. Her niece says that she just wants attention. But when she yells you go to her and ask her what she wants and she laughs and says "nothing". I have complained and so had a few other family members. And they tell us there is nothing they can do. Please help. What can I do? I feel that this is elder abuse because it's scares my mom and the other elder in that cottage.

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This happened to us. When mom's roomate died, they moved in a mentally ill person with hoarding and stealing issues.

We are a non -complaining family and mom takes stuff in stride.

One evening, roomate was banging on her table with a glass bottle, screaming for aides. Mom looked terrified. SIL emailed me.

I emailed the SW and director about the abusive environment that my mother was being subjected to. Roomate was moved by the time I called to check at 10 am.
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If this facility accepts those who need a high level of care then I'm not sure that you have any real options, many people with damaged brains make spontaneous, repetitive sounds, sometimes loudly - you don't mention her being violent, just loud. When I first moved mom to the NH the sounds were one of the things that added to my despair, currently one woman repeatedly laughs maniacally, a man on another wing shouts "whoa" periodically, a mentally challenged woman babbles incoherently and mom's room mate sobs and pleads loudly whenever she is attended to and randomly throughout the day. We don't have anyone calling "help me", but I have heard that too when visiting other places in the past (and, being naive, I was outraged that no one was coming to help). It may be a blessing that mom's hearing is bad, although I must say that it doesn't bother me as much as it once did. Does you mom understand that this woman is just noisy and doesn't really need help?
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I have heard that some conditions often cause the person to call out, Help me. They may do this constantly. If asked what is the problem, they don't know. One lady that I know who did this, was required to be relocated from one facility.

If this is distressing your loved one, I'd discuss it with the facility to see what the options are. It's my experience that the facility will want to make things right.
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There have been some screamers in mom's memory care facility and they are ignored
One pour soul screamed like a wild animal

Occasionally the longstanding evening nurse will go sit with one to keep her company but since she's in the room next to mom I will open her door and go fetch someone if she continues for too long

My mom's first roomie screamed all night in a foreign language - after 4 days they moved her

Another roommate screamed herself into panic attacks thinking she couldn't breathe all night so they eventually moved her

I've noticed mom says help me a lot now too and her caregiver says she does during the night - she's not screaming and seems to just want assurances that she's not alone
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This IS abuse. This poor lady needs a higher level of care than is available or needs her meds adjusted.

Who have you complained to? If not to the top administrator on site, then do so, in writing. Complain of an abusive and threatening environment. If nothing is done, you go to the ombudsman.
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What is the resident policy for living? Can your mom have a private voyage?
Have you requested facility to move a more compatible client in with your mom?
Ivan tell you, if your mom is quiet and not moving about anymore, she is the type of patient a facility will pair of more combative person with. The reason is the agitated person is less likely to be pushed into further bad behaviors by a client who makes little to no noise, movement or complaints.
Your best recourse may be to ask for ombudsman to meet with you and facility to work out a better arrangement. Or you may have to request and pay for private room.
Those are experiences and resolutions I've had to deal with.
Hope this help.
Feel free to reach out and I'll elaborate if you like.
Darby
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We have been to the everyone in the office..they tell us that they are trying..the center where my mom is on investigate with the state so this week we were able to talk to them and they said that they will try....because of the state they are telling us they cannot move her to another cottage..so next week we have a appointment with adult protection service so I hope they can help....thanks a lot..love this site..
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When my Mom was in long-term-care, down the hall was a lady who kept calling out "help me" over and over again. At first, as cwillie had mentioned above, I was wondering why no one was helping her. It rattled me something terribly. I couldn't imagine being next door or right across the hall if I was a patient.
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I work in a neuro ICU, and we get a lot of "screamers" after surgery, or a brain injury. Most of them cant help it... Help me is the most common thing! I agree this can be nerve racking. But the lady probably cant help it. Good luck with this!
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