In a bungalow on our site (6 flats) lives an elderly lady in her 80s whose dementia is getting bad. She can't remember things we've just spoken about and struggles to understand things too. So it's impossible to have a conversation or explain anything, she just forgets straight away. She lives alone and seems to get by on an everyday level, walks to the local shops with frame and looks after herself. She has an estranged son and some distant relatives, who are going to try and refer her to the doctor for testing and reach out to the son. The problem is that she is VERY feisty and VERY independent, so any intervention is going to be very difficult.
The thing that concerns me in the short term is that she sits in front of the TV with an open radiant fire plugged in and with flex trailing. This is in the middle of the room and about a foot from her legs for warmth. She falls asleep like this, and if a blanket or dressing gown fell on the fire while she was asleep she would go up in flames. I can't see how we can advise her of the danger and persuade her to find an alternative, she won't take in what we're saying and she won't remember what we've said. I am very fearful she will either trip over the flex or go up in flames now the winter is coming. How do we deal with this lady who as I said is extremely feisty and independent but also lacks the mental capacity to understand anything.
