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Dementia 'affects 80% of care home residents'

InMyArmsInMyArms Posts: 50,792
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This is a shocking statistic.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21579394

I know very little about dementia, so forgive me if this question is odd, but it makes me question whether they are put in the home because their dementia is too hard for the family to deal with, or are they put in the home and the absence of their usual surroundings triggers dementia?
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 27
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    I would argue that the lack of mental stimulus doesn't help. Whether its being ignored/excluded by the family or stuck in a dull environment where you are basically just waiting to die. No matter what age you are, the lack of mental stimulus will cause problems - even more so in old age...can't wait! :cry:
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    Ada RabbleAda Rabble Posts: 3,317
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    The care home where I worked, the situation was that the families couldn't cope with the dementia and felt they couldn't provide the 24 hour care.
    There were about 20% of people with just old age and the families relinquished care for the same reason. The onset of dementia didn't occur in this group
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 260
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    My Nan ended up having to go into a care home in November because she had vascular dementia and my mum, who was the only one who lived close by and thus the primary carer couldn't physically or emotionally cope any more. The home that she was in provided plenty of activities and things for the residents to do, but most, including my nan couldn't participate because this horrible disease was/was becoming too advanced. She went in because a) she needed 24 hour nursing care because she was having strokes and falls more and more frequently and b) because it ended up being that my mum was grieving for Nan while she was still alive as the dementia destroyed her slowly. Watching her decline over the past four or five years from the strong willed and independent woman she was to the shell she was last time I saw her is one of the most horrible things I've witnessed and I couldn't physically go to the care home because it just wasn't my Nan in there any more. In a way it was a relief when she died last week because she wasn't suffering or in pain anymore. Also, I think being in a care home will affect the sufferer as they're taken out of their usual surroundings and so become confused, scared and often violent.
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    franciefrancie Posts: 31,089
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    My Nan ended up having to go into a care home in November because she had vascular dementia and my mum, who was the only one who lived close by and thus the primary carer couldn't physically or emotionally cope any more. The home that she was in provided plenty of activities and things for the residents to do, but most, including my nan couldn't participate because this horrible disease was/was becoming too advanced. She went in because a) she needed 24 hour nursing care because she was having strokes and falls more and more frequently and b) because it ended up being that my mum was grieving for Nan while she was still alive as the dementia destroyed her slowly. Watching her decline over the past four or five years from the strong willed and independent woman she was to the shell she was last time I saw her is one of the most horrible things I've witnessed and I couldn't physically go to the care home because it just wasn't my Nan in there any more. In a way it was a relief when she died last week because she wasn't suffering or in pain anymore. Also, I think being in a care home will affect the sufferer as they're taken out of their usual surroundings and so become confused, scared and often violent.

    Sad post, sorry for your loss elltridgefan1.
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    RogerBaileyRogerBailey Posts: 1,959
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    InMyArms wrote: »
    This is a shocking statistic.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21579394

    I know very little about dementia, so forgive me if this question is odd, but it makes me question whether they are put in the home because their dementia is too hard for the family to deal with, or are they put in the home and the absence of their usual surroundings triggers dementia?

    I work in this area, it is a very unpleasant disease. In my experience it is the former.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22,736
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    InMyArms wrote: »
    This is a shocking statistic.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21579394

    I know very little about dementia, so forgive me if this question is odd, but it makes me question 9whether they are put in the home because their dementia is too hard for the family to deal with, or are they put in the home and the absence of their usual surroundings triggers dementia?

    Mum cared for gran who had alzheimers for 5 years after she was diagnosed but mum was not getting any younger and gran was getting worse. Mum had a mental breakdown, so we had no choice but to move her in a home.

    Gran had no quality of life and needed twenty four hour assistance. Horrific way to spend your final years.
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    jesayajesaya Posts: 35,597
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    Not sure what to make of the figure to be honest. Is it that more people with dementia are going into homes or that more people in homes are aquiring dementia because of being in homes, or what?

    My aunt-in-law has altzheimers - she lived in a flat on her own and when that became untenable we moved her to 'assisted living' flats that she loved... but as the dementia progressed we had to move her to a care home, but they still provide nice rooms, lots of entertainment and trips. As her illness progresses she is less able to enjoy these but the staff are very attentive and if they can get her to join in they will. She also has lots of visitors from friends and family.

    It is possible to get a 'good' experience in a care home, but it costs money and required (even with funds available) some shopping around to get a good place. Many we visited seemed more like 'granny farms' than homes and I think we were lucky to find places where the level of care was so high.

    As with so many things we have high expectations of state run facilities that conflict with the amount of money we are prepared to pay in taxes to fund them. As the population ages we either have to accept that older people may not enjoy a particularly good experience in their 'care-home years' or we invest more money in it.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 904
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    Well it's no secret that an active body keeps the mind active. My dad says this now and he tells me my grandad used to say it over 40 years ago.
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    soulboy77soulboy77 Posts: 24,494
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    InMyArms wrote: »
    This is a shocking statistic.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21579394

    I know very little about dementia, so forgive me if this question is odd, but it makes me question whether they are put in the home because their dementia is too hard for the family to deal with, or are they put in the home and the absence of their usual surroundings triggers dementia?
    It's not that shocking but understandable. People go into homes when they are not able to look after themselves or have someone look after them in their own homes. So it's going to be either because they their mental faculties have degraded or they physically can't get about. Dementia is a gradual process where the brain loses it's ability to function correctly.
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    Alt-F4Alt-F4 Posts: 10,960
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    hugene141 wrote: »
    I would argue that the lack of mental stimulus doesn't help. Whether its being ignored/excluded by the family or stuck in a dull environment where you are basically just waiting to die. No matter what age you are, the lack of mental stimulus will cause problems - even more so in old age...can't wait! :cry:

    It's actually a lack of physical exercise which is more damaging. In fact I'd put physical 10:1 over mental in terms of stimulating the brain.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22,736
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    The population is getting older so it stands to reason more folk will get dementia
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    Bedlam_maidBedlam_maid Posts: 5,922
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    Suffering from dementia is my greatest fear after watching a grandparent's slow deterioration from an interesting and happy man to someone who didn't recognise me or my family, and spent his last few years in a care home. Although the care home was a good one, he still wasn't happy there. It is an illness you can't fight and it's all downhill after the initial diagnosis, which is actually very hard to get. One of the few reasons I would consider taking my own life, seriously.
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    bluebladeblueblade Posts: 88,859
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    InMyArms wrote: »
    This is a shocking statistic.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21579394

    I know very little about dementia, so forgive me if this question is odd, but it makes me question whether they are put in the home because their dementia is too hard for the family to deal with, or are they put in the home and the absence of their usual surroundings triggers dementia?

    Probably a bit of both.
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    MindeeMindee Posts: 22,975
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    Something that the medical profession tend to ignore is vitamin B12 deficiency. They'd rather push their drugs to combat the symptoms.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,845
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    Suffering from dementia is my greatest fear after watching a grandparent's slow deterioration from an interesting and happy man to someone who didn't recognise me or my family, and spent his last few years in a care home. Although the care home was a good one, he still wasn't happy there. It is an illness you can't fight and it's all downhill after the initial diagnosis, which is actually very hard to get. One of the few reasons I would consider taking my own life, seriously.

    Hmmm...But you wouldn't know when you get demented, it would be like normal to you....
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22,736
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    Hmmm...But you wouldn't know when you get demented, it would be like normal to you....

    Maybe but with it my nan suffered horrific depression and hallucinations with her alzheimers. She spent most of her final years in tears.
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    SpamJavelinSpamJavelin Posts: 1,071
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    Hmmm...But you wouldn't know when you get demented, it would be like normal to you....
    Not true. It doesn't work that way. The onset of dementia is a gradual process - it's not off and then instantly on, like a light switch. Unfortunately in the early days people are aware of the problem.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,064
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    I am sure there are some old people in this self-centred age that put their old mum or dad into a care home because they 'can't be bothered to look after them' but in my oppinion the bulk of people in care homes are there because dementia is so hard to live with (for the families). I have a couple of friends that had three out of 4 parents suffering denentia (the 4th was already dead) in the course of a week every evening and almost every hour duringthe weekend was spent visiting one or other of their parents, teking them out doing things like gardening, shopping and making them meals. after about 18 months both of my friends were at the end of their ability to cope and I advised them to get help or the whole lot of them would go under. the decosion was made to put all three eldily parents into care homes. they chose carefully and about 12 months on things are much better for all of them, my friends visit their parents twice a week and know that their lovedones are being properly cared for, they have a life again.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 121
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    I'm a psychiatric nurse and I work in a psychiatric hospital for older adults with cognitive impairments, typically types of dementias. And usually in the disease, it gets to a point where they can't be cared for at home for numerous reasons and require some form of residential. And at times the residential cant handle them so they might to to an EMI or sometimes us.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 121
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    Hmmm...But you wouldn't know when you get demented, it would be like normal to you....

    Not true.

    People can having fleeting episodes of lucidity and a lot of the people I nurse who are quite impaired (enough to be in a psych hospital anyway) still remember significant details, like their wife, or their job they had and become extreemly distressed these things aren't there. It's a constant torture for alot of them.
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    Doll FeetDoll Feet Posts: 1,948
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    Kaylalou wrote: »
    I'm a psychiatric nurse and I work in a psychiatric hospital for older adults with cognitive impairments, typically types of dementias. And usually in the disease, it gets to a point where they can't be cared for at home for numerous reasons and require some form of residential. And at times the residential cant handle them so they might to to an EMI or sometimes us.

    That must be helpful to someone with dementia.

    You don't hear much about CJD these days do you.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22,736
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    Kaylalou wrote: »
    I'm a psychiatric nurse and I work in a psychiatric hospital for older adults with cognitive impairments, typically types of dementias. And usually in the disease, it gets to a point where they can't be cared for at home for numerous reasons and require some form of residential. And at times the residential cant handle them so they might to to an EMI or sometimes us.

    My gran was put in an EMI. It was great for when she was having her "turns" but sometimes she would be completely fine and the sight of the othr residents really distressed her:cry:
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 121
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    Doll Feet wrote: »
    That must be helpful to someone with dementia.

    You don't hear much about CJD these days do you.

    The process of moving wont be helpful, but going to an EMI is usually better when they can't cope with them in a residential, to protect the person with dementia and others around them. Ie only visited two, and they where both great, staff was well equipped.

    I've never ever come across cjd during training or my job. I don't know too much about it for that reason. It's pretty uncommon isn't it?
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 121
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    My gran was put in an EMI. It was great for when she was having her "turns" but sometimes she would be completely fine and the sight of the othr residents really distressed her:cry:

    That must have been horrible. I think it's hard with situations like that, and in my opinion (wrong or right) I think if it's only "turns" residential would be better, with maybe some external support for when it gets difficult. If that makes sense?
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22,736
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    Kaylalou wrote: »
    That must have been horrible. I think it's hard with situations like that, and in my opinion (wrong or right) I think if it's only "turns" residential would be better, with maybe some external support for when it gets difficult. If that makes sense?

    Problem is it is catch 22 because in residential when gran had an episode, it distressed the other residents.

    Rock and hard place really, sadly.
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