How to help Mom in Memory Care Center deal with those who have severe dementia?

Oh my! My mom needed a MC unit last year. She “woke up” from a severe dementia bout of Lewy Body and found herself with the same situation. She was moderately confused at worse. Most were non verbal, and a bit pushy. A man pushed his way into her room..he hit her hard..I had her moved to a different unit within an hour and we had a lock with a key installed on her door! That alleviated her fear. We were able to move her to a new facility 6 months later as she became clearer....an assisted living with mildly demented folks. Many appear very normal with some forgetfulness. This facility she loves! It has a unit for severely demented patients and mom does not see that at all. Activities are plentiful. As a retired clinical staff member of these facilities I recommend making some calls to “locked assisted living buildings” to see if there is a better choice for her. This is not easy. Getting a good fit is work and may be costly. Our new building is actually a thousand dollars less a month by the way..and seeing mom happy was worth the work..

My mom has been in MC for 9 months.

When she arrived, she was a bit confused by the residents with more advanced dementias.

She adapted, and now, if someone else gets too close, she sternly tells them to back away, or, just a loud, “NO!”

It all got easier for her to manage.

Best wishes.

A good memory care segregates their higher and lower functioning residents from one another. My mother's MC had a huge common room, and the lower functioning residents had their own activities with supervision and rooms at one end while the others had their own with more freedom to move about at the other. She originally started with the higher-functioning folks, then eventually moved to the lower-functioning ones.

You must be able to expect your mother to feel safe, so talk to the administration about how THEY will ensure that.

She will learn how to navigate the others. Just as you learn when you start school or a new job.
I am sure one will latch on as a buddy.
the staff should also help if they truly see a problem.
Give her time.

If other residents are grabbing her, the administration needs to be notified about this unwanted behavior.

Many folks with dementia also suffer from anxiety. Your mom might benefit from a low dose of anti-anxiety medication.

That is a job for the facility social worker

OMG, what a terrible experience for your mother. Aren't memory care facilities only for patients with dementia? Don't they have different areas for residents of varying levels of dementia? Definitely speak to a social worker. Your mom should not have to live like that.

I would also contact Adult Protective Services for information and help to protect her. This should never be happening. They have to find a way to stop it.

Juse have her stay close to Caregivers and tell her to be friendly with them even tho they are worse off then her they are only looking for friends too.

BetterB; Imho, notify the head of the MC stat in regard to this issue.