OK, My Mom is 85 yrs old.. and in a locked ALZ Assisted Living facility-- In the last 2-3 weeks she has (Out of loneliness) allowed a man to become her 'friend' in her late stage confusion, she allows him in her room- many times a day as they roam up down halls- I have heard or found them sitting in her room w/ door locked.. Today I come in to sneak visit- he has his pull up off, lying on floor- but pants on.. and his toothbrush and a few otehr personal belongings in there as he is looking thru her closet.. Im upset that staff dosent try harder to 'redirect' and get them engaged in an activity or something.. (3) staff on floor- not really busy--just chatty around desk.. The Admin dosent seem too worried either- he says if she invites him in, then they cant really make it stop. Especially when the staff comes to ask him to leave she gets mad at them too- Gets territorial of her room w/ staff.. just slams door and locks it.. Many times staff cant even get IN the room- if med nurse w/ key not on floor or not available..Admin knows this-- I said he will HAVE TO have a key avail at all times.. *next time I hear no key.. Im reporting to Social Services and the Fire Dept. -- So, My Mom was a Minister for 40 years, married over 30- and before the late stages, happy to be single-- and sex free.. Now, she is so lonely-- and this man is all thats available- Her confusion wants to care for him.. and if it goes to that level-- I do NOT believe she is capable of making such a decision.. She has a servants heart-- and is always helping the other residents like a nurse.. and this allowing him in .. is just an extension of hospitality.. I think the staff should redirect and curtail the ALONE TIME in the room- but Admin, not behind me.. and I dont think it will be enforced.. I wish she was OUT! I have no options right now.. But God has to open up something and soon ! Any Advice would be great..
Geesh, Helen - I don't know how you are standing up under this nightmare! Really wish we could come and help you out! Hope this bit of levity at least makes you smile.
As far as Mom's ability to retain her faith and values- she totally does- she is acting as a minister even to this very day in the facility.. she prays, sings and helps everyone she can coming and going everywhere.. Staff and resident alike.
She reads christian books, literature and her Bible daily.. She prays for me on the phone as I pray for her, we sing hymns together and she can still remember the words of many of them, as well as play them on her portable keyboard- My Son joins in on his violin sometimes.. My Golden Retriever (Katie) comes to visit her weekly, she helped me raise her from a puppy 3 yrs ago. My Mom has a deep love for Jesus (Not religion) as do I in my heart- I believe and have faith that love will (Never) die due to ALZ. I see her going home to be with Jesus in heaven and she and I professing his love and singing all the way.. as she exits... God has undertaken and done extreme miracles in my life and watched him do it in her life.. present and past.. He never changes.. So, I speak to all of you reading- Have faith in God and regardless of what you see with your natural eye here, the loss, the pain, the deterioration of your loved one- God in you and them is the 'only hope' of glory! That glory and new mind, body is to come! My Mothers name is very fitting for her.. its *Hope :-) My Name Helen, means "Light"- I pray that all of you be comforted by God (One true God) and that Jesus be welcomed into your heart, so that you to can have relationship you were created to have and if your Mom or Dad dosent know him, that you would be the one to introduce them. How wonderful it would be! My Mother and I share this common love for Jesus, and when I call her every morning as Im getting ready to do right now- I Encourage her, pray for her, sing to/with her.. and I pray for protection, and God's peace to cover her every day.. Its calming to her, and she responds with several "Amens".. I trust God thru this journey.. 100%.. I also listened to many of your comments, advice.. I have been looking for other facilities..long story on that.. She is (Medicaid) and there are few ALZ AL availble in this area.. that will deal with Medicaid. It is a complete miracle of God she obtained both Grant & Waiver $ *The 1st in my entire area to do so and be placed in Assisted Living from the outside..) there are some grant cases for people already living in AL that have exhausted funds.. But My Mother is 1st from outside (Lived with me) The Facility she is in *Never took anything but Self Pay.. But, with the help of God moving hearts/minds to cooperate.. Wonderful people at Medicaid, the Grant & Waiver & SSI she has over $2700/mo funds available. God undertook to get this done and I am greatful! Although her distance is a problem for me.. so, I am pressing in to get more options open for us.. especially closer to me.. I drive over 40 mls round trip to her everyother day as it is now.. cant afford this gas.. but have to go.. She needs me.. I love her, and I go ..with a greatful heart until such time God intervenes on our behalf.. I have yielded much of my anger to him.. and in return he has supplied me with joy, and with his spirit of sharing his love.. both with Mom and everyone I meet-- Thanks for the conversations.. God Bless You All, he cares for what you are going through, and your loved ones too. :-) Ill leave you with a precious poem I founf while sorting thru my Mothers room after she moved, may it bless you as it has me.. I printed it and have it on my desk at work.. :-)
STEP BY STEP: He does not lead me year by year, Nor even day by day..But step by step my path unfolds; My Lord directs my way.. Tomorrows plans I do not know, I only know this minute; But he will say, "This is the way, by faith now walk ye in it." And I am glad that it is so, Todays enough to bear; And when tomorrow comes, His grace Shall far exceed its care. What need to worry then, or fret? The God who gave His Son Holds all my moments in His hand And gives them , one by one. - Barbara C. Ryberg
Your mom was a minister for 40 years. I was gungho into my new religion for 3 years. Your mom had 40 years of deeply ingrained beliefs in God and His principles. She not only preached about it, but lived her life accordingly.
I think you all are forgetting something. Even when my mom was 99.9% into her dementia and did not see us or recognize us, She Was Still Inside!!! If you all are observant and KNOW your parent, I bet you saw that Rare old personality. We all were there when mom had a very short few seconds in the HERE and NOW moment. She was staring at her favorite child - my oldest bro. We All saw her eyes resting on him with such intensity. You see, mom hasn't spoken or had an alert look in her eyes for years. That day, we all saw her looking at bro. Scared him silly. Then there was the times when father was physically or verbally abusing me, she became physically agitated. You see, while growing up, mom protected us from father. And sometimes, when I'm quietly talking to her, and she has this spaced out vacant look in her eyes, suddenly, tears will fall down. Towards the end of mom's life, she had tears falling down her eyes.
So, I just want to remind you all, that sometimes we may think that they're gone, but they could still be inside - the Old personality parent. So, if your mom has been a minister for 40 years, I wonder what she feels like being trapped inside her body and mind Seeing what is happening. Yes, her dementia is doing this to her, but I bet her old self is inside, trapped.
I wish you all could have read the poster here on AC who had dementia. He wrote from his perspective. He wrote how he could hear what people said about him but he could not respond because he was stuck inside, lost, trying to find his way out. So, Hvluv, go with your instincts. It's correct.
Secondly, yes your Mom enjoys this man for company and she feels sorry for him, but she also said she did not know how to ask him to leave without hurting his feelings because she believe he has no place to go.......Oh yes he does, his own room, but your Mom is not of sound mind and able to realize that fact. She does have a good heart and I have no doubt that she has his best interests at heart. The thing is she realizes he should leave her room, but she is under the assumption that she is helping him by letting him stay. She is confused on this issue.
If I were you I would raise such and incredible stink that they might not realize I was indeed a Christian! To me there is absolutely no excuse for the Administration not taking care of this matter....everyone needs to stay in their own rooms. Visitation should be done in a central room where everyone is and they are supervised all the time!!! Why was he in your Mom's room without his underwear and yet his pants on? Had he pooped? Where is someone to take care of this unsanitary matter? Did he undress in front of your Mom.....probably!
In my opinion there is no excuse on earth for this being allowed. My Mom too is a Christian and has led a Christian life, I would not want this to happen to her and to possibly even be taken advantage of by this man. What if he raped her? Seriously, he could not be held responsible because he has Alzheimer's too but you could sue the pants off the facility. But would you want your Mom to go through this....I wouldn't.
When we place our parents in these facilities we place them there for care, care we are unable to give, your Mom is receiving "housing," she is just living in this facility but they are not watching out for her best interest. They are letting a free for all go on because it is easier than dealing with the patients and trying to make them abide by any rules or regulations. The chatting by the workers needs to STOP and they need to have their feet held to the coals and have to answer for their LACK OF SUPERVISION AND CARE.
Why don't you call Adult Protective Services and just have a talk with them and ask them what they think about such a policy?
As for me...my Christianity would probably fly out the window as I expressed my displeasure with what is going on as I called every agency in the book to get it stopped. You say you have no alternative, but I can tell you this, if something happens to your Mom, you are going to kick yourself in the butt for not taking action immediately even if it meant removing her from the facility. You have the knowledge of what is happening and if you do not act on it immediately, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Personally I don't care what Ruth Ginsberg says about her husband and his friendship/affair, when it comes to my mother and her lifelong values and standards, her loss of memory would only make me realize how much she needs me to assist and guide her, because she would never do this in her right mind. As a child she guided us away from this behavior when we didn't know better so why would I not do the same for her?
I have been trying to get MIL to socialize since FIL passed she's on the other end of the spectrum. She keeps telling me that they (the men) are hitting on her. I didn't really get it but after the neighbor went to kiss me on the lips....I get it. What I'm trying to say is keep an open mind regardless of your moral conviction. Listen and don't judge. I have found the free support groups in my area to be very helpful. I also took classes on dealing with the Alzheimer patient (I'm certified now). One of the best sections of the class was what is expected of the facility and legally required. It made it so I had all the right buzz words when I talk to staff to motivate them to do their job. I would strongly suggest education over speculation. The free support group pointed me in a lot of good directions (and the people are nice too) Good luck...take care of yourself...stress is a killer...I'm finding out everyday to pick my battles or I'm not going around to fight them anymore.
If you and your mother agreed on this issue in the past, she would probably want you to guide her behavior along those same lines now.
Even as a sort-of atheist, I know that a loving God would not condemn your mother if she did "sin", given her mental condition.
You are right to try to protect her, and make sure that she has freedom to make decisions she would be comfortable with.
Your mother, as a Christian, believes in a merciful God. Though we don't understand God's plan for us, we have faith. Is it possible that God, in his mercy and omniscience has allowed this man to enter your mother's life to provide some level of contentment (or at least distraction) as she declines in her cognitive and physical abilities? Though their relationship may be abhorrent to you and probably would have been to your mother when she was cognitively intact, God has a plan.
That said, your mother's physical safety must be guarded by the people in whom you've trusted her care. There's no reason for a lock on your mother's door. It should be removed. If you have reason to believe that your mother's friend is forcing himself upon her, then obviously, the staff must be more attentive to their relationship.
If the gentleman your mom has befriended lives in the same facility, I suggest you try to open communications with his family. This give you additional eyes to monitor the situation.
I know you want to protect your mom and are worried she may be taken advantage of in her current reduced mental state. In addition, I worry that my dad's lady may start accusing my dad of things he didn't do or perhaps he misunderstood a signal and she get's upset (even with a kiss) which would cause him to get upset. The protection works in both directions.
But I also might mention, older men often need a little help (ie. purple pill). It may be that you are worried without cause.
Again, my suggestion is to talk to the become friends with the gentleman's family and work jointly to protect both your parents.
I would recommend that you set up a meeting with the director of the unit and whoever else needs to be there and explain your position. I understand your position and theirs. You are concerned about your mom getting into a situation she can't handle. If the facility just can't meet you halfway on this, then start looking into other facilities that are more closely matched to what you want for your mom. Good luck. I am hearing more and more about residents pairing off in ALZ units and AL.