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Tried my best tonight.

(5 Posts)
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HUNTERF Sat 27-Apr-13 23:25:34

A friends father is in a nursing home with dementia and he started getting violent and throwing things about.
This happens about 3 times a year and normally the son goes in and he calms down.
Unfortunately the son is on holiday. He went yesterday and returns on Tuesday.
As the father is friendly with me and I was near the nurse thought it was worth me trying to calm him down as they only use sedation as a last resort.
Sadly I spoke with the father for about 40 minutes but if anything he got worse.
The nurse was watching and she thought I tried to handle the situation in a good way but it did not work.
The father had to be sedated at the end.

Frank

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Enviousamerican Sun 28-Apr-13 00:11:41

You sure did your good deed for the day! Hope you don't feel bad you couldn't solve the problem. Just look at it that he was fairly calm for the 40 min.you were there.I remember trying to comfort a crying lady when I was working as a nurse.She was crying and saying my husband is dead.Well I did my best but when I wasn't getting anywhere I went and asked the doctor about her he told me her husband had been dead for 15 years. dementia is so cruel.

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FlicketyB Sun 28-Apr-13 06:26:33

Frank, you did your best, dementia is by definition irrational and at least your friend's father is in a home where sedation is given routinely.

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FlicketyB Sun 28-Apr-13 06:26:45

Frank, you did your best, dementia is by definition irrational and at least your friend's father is in a home where sedation is given routinely.

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HUNTERF Sun 28-Apr-13 07:21:17

FlicketyB

Oddly enough they try to avoid sedation as much as possible at that home.
The carers try to calm them down and if a relative / friend is not too far away and available the next step is to call them in if it is one of the first times or if the relative generally manages to calm them down.
Obviously the home knows relatives can not always get in so they have to then use sedation straight away in some cases.

Frank

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