June 07
I always imagined that Craig and I would always be together, but the universe has a way of throwing curve balls at you.
It has been only a few months since I had to force him into an evaluation, and learned that he has EOAD.
And advanced at that.
After a month in the mental hospital for evaluation and meds, I had to place him in a nursing home.
First it was very hard to find one that would take him. They are not set up for people this young with the severe impairment
stage he is at.Then there were the everyday calls to tell me that he just wasn't co-operating.
He was only there a few days, and assaulted a nurse and tried to escape.They had him remove by police, who took him to the local
hospital. After 2 days of not being able to find out anything and calling everyone I could think of, I went to the nursing home to talk to
the staff, and Voila! There he was wandering the halls!
Not one person thought to call me and say he had been returned.The Psychiatrist added meds to "calm him down".
Which translates to making him a zombie.When I asked to have the meds reduced, I was told it was for "everyone's good".
He has since fallen and had to have his wrist xrayed, started walking bent sideways, stopped being able to toilet himself, stopped eating, and "walked into"
a patient lift face first.
He is not showered or shaved, and his dentures were so nasty, i took them out and cleaned them myself.
I asked the social worker, pre-admission to have him examined for eyeglasses, as he had broken his a while ago....
Still waiting.
I asked her to find another facility more equipped to handle him, but only got screwed around by the other nursing home.
Surely people deserve to be treated better than this when they are already suffering so much! Since when does a disease rob you of
the right to live with dignity and care?
And since when has it been alright for the people entrusted with our most precious possessions, our loved ones, to treat them
as if they were an irritation?
I have always been an extremely polite, friendly, non-confrontational person, but this is changing me in ways that I would never have believed.
And the lack of support from former friends and family is hurtful too. Just a call to ask how he is doing would be a great support.
If you don't know what to say or do, just listen! And learning about the disease will help you to help us, as well as helping you to avoid the
heartbreak we are experiencing because we waited too long.
Until next time, become informed.And tell someone you care!
Peg
It has been only a few months since I had to force him into an evaluation, and learned that he has EOAD.
And advanced at that.
After a month in the mental hospital for evaluation and meds, I had to place him in a nursing home.
First it was very hard to find one that would take him. They are not set up for people this young with the severe impairment
stage he is at.Then there were the everyday calls to tell me that he just wasn't co-operating.
He was only there a few days, and assaulted a nurse and tried to escape.They had him remove by police, who took him to the local
hospital. After 2 days of not being able to find out anything and calling everyone I could think of, I went to the nursing home to talk to
the staff, and Voila! There he was wandering the halls!
Not one person thought to call me and say he had been returned.The Psychiatrist added meds to "calm him down".
Which translates to making him a zombie.When I asked to have the meds reduced, I was told it was for "everyone's good".
He has since fallen and had to have his wrist xrayed, started walking bent sideways, stopped being able to toilet himself, stopped eating, and "walked into"
a patient lift face first.
He is not showered or shaved, and his dentures were so nasty, i took them out and cleaned them myself.
I asked the social worker, pre-admission to have him examined for eyeglasses, as he had broken his a while ago....
Still waiting.
I asked her to find another facility more equipped to handle him, but only got screwed around by the other nursing home.
Surely people deserve to be treated better than this when they are already suffering so much! Since when does a disease rob you of
the right to live with dignity and care?
And since when has it been alright for the people entrusted with our most precious possessions, our loved ones, to treat them
as if they were an irritation?
I have always been an extremely polite, friendly, non-confrontational person, but this is changing me in ways that I would never have believed.
And the lack of support from former friends and family is hurtful too. Just a call to ask how he is doing would be a great support.
If you don't know what to say or do, just listen! And learning about the disease will help you to help us, as well as helping you to avoid the
heartbreak we are experiencing because we waited too long.
Until next time, become informed.And tell someone you care!
Peg
So sorry you are going through this! Thank you for sending the link so I can follow the journey with you even though life is a bit hectic right now. I will try to give you a call the first opportunity I have to chat. You and your family remain in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteYour friend,
Mary Ann