A Place for Mom's Family

 My mother, who suffers from dementia, was in the hospital last month and is now in a nursing home. She had been living in her home with my husband and myself taking care of her at night and a caregiver with her during the day. At home all she enjoyed doing was watching TV. Now since she is in the nursing home recovering and all she wants to do is sleep. She is recovering from a sore that became infected and is doing much better. She refuses however to participate in therapy. Each time I visit her she just wants to sleep and if she is up she just lays her head down on the table and tries to sleep. I have talked with social services at the nursing home and she has been scheduled for an evaluation from a phychiatrist for over a month but she hasn't been seen yet. I am very concerned as it is so sad seeng her like this. She has a TV in her room but she tells the nurses she doesn't want to watch it so they don't turn it on. Any suggestions? 

 My handicapped sister has suffered  from repeated sores and even when she is healing from them, she sometimes sleeps and only gets up to eat.  Still, I'd be concerned about depression. 

 Does she have a primary Dr. who was seeing her before who might get involved and insist on the evaulation? 

 Mary

Is it impossible to take her out of the nursing home?  Could you find a doctor outside the nursing home to see her?  These places are not prisons, although they try to make it seem that way.  It sounds to me like she may be depressed, although there are other reasons for sleeping all the time, including infection (urinary tract), bad constipation (so bad she has lost her appetitie), low thyroid, etc.  All these things need to be investigated, if they haven't been.

I have a friend who works in a catholic facility in Sun Valley.  She "adopted" one of the residents as her "BFF - best friend forever"

 I noticed that the best friend, despite of severe dementia, is always up and about.  The staff in that place has given that resident a baby doll for her to take care of. 

 It has given "BFF" a reason to get up and face the day because she has to take care of the "baby doll"

 The staff has been great in greeting BFF with her "baby" and going along with the play.

Maybe you can try introducing something as a reason for your mom to get up and about.

I suggest that bring her back to your home and make her busy by talking to her every-time about the things she likes and she wants to speak on that, get her involved in few mental exercises. Do things that she likes to be a part of that, sometimes staying with family members also improves and enhances the self esteem and a urge to live. So bring her back to home and get her busy with thing she likes and get her indulged in social activities and hire a home carer t take care of her.

 In my opinion nursing home is bestoption for your mom. ther are many nursing homes available which provide their nurses at 24 hrs. one another option is the home care services. In home care services thet provide care assistenat. These nurses or care assistent have a friendly nature wlth patient.Some time elders need to some privacy and they getting irretate with other person at that time nursing home is best option.