Alzheimer's Project - well worth your time and tears
Posted by
Lauren EllermanMay 13, 2009 8:57 AMTags:
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I spend my days speaking to families who have learned their loved one may have been a victim of nursing home neglect. As a sensitive person, I am touched by their stories of loss, sadness and disappointment.
Many of my clients care for someone who has a dementia or Alzheimer's diagnosis. After many years of trying to provide care alone, they often turn to a facility to help with 24 hour a day care.
Last night I spent two hours in front of the TV - watching an HBO documentary called the Alzheimer's Project. The documentary follows families in the same circumstances - trying to get care for a loved one.
They featured one family who after 4 months after placing their Dad in the nursing home, was still struggling to regulate his medication, care takers etc. Overmedicated, the father slept all day and was up most nights. I was so scared watching the show, because I have seen real danger occur in nursing homes for this reason.
Persons with dementia and Alzheimer’s are often overmedicated (makes it easier for nurses to "KEEP AN EYE ON THEM IF THEY ARE IN A CHAIR OR BED ALL DAY"), and then at night, not supervised. Falls will occur. The documentary showed where the father's pants fell off him - and I thought to myself - HELLO - WEIGHT LOSS! Overmedication means they won't eat, will lose weight, are more susceptible to pressure ulcers, UTIs, falls etc.
The cycle is so scary - and my heart goes out to these families. I would encourage them, to be proactive (as the family on the show was) and make sure the health care providers are on the same page. Are they monitoring nutrition? Water intake? Exercise? Medicine?
Great tragedies can and do occur in nursing homes when dementia and Alzheimer’s patients are overmedicated.
While I would recommend the show, it is not for the faint of heart. Actually, neither is being in a nursing home, placing a family member in one, working in one - or holding them accountable.