Send me all the good vibes please. Today more than ever before.
Okay, so update.
My dad has been in a memory support unit for just over a week. The nursing home made it incredibly clear it's a TRIAL because essentially they need to make sure they look after the other residents too and that there are no clashes. Getting into a room has been an absolute nightmare and we have all been so desperate for it to work out.
Yesterday was supposed to be the day that the outcome of that was determined.
However, yesterday morning my dad took a fall and had to be taken to hospital. He waited in the ambulance (with my mum) for over 3 hours but started to get super agitated. Long story short, he had to get an xray and CT scan but it took forever because he started to get really aggressive with everyone. Which makes sense, since he really had no idea where he was and was in a lot of pain. He was also hallucinating.
So last night when I went to bed, I had been told he may have broken his pelvis and would need surgery. I wasn't going to know until the morning the outcome of that.
I can't even imagine having a seventy-four year old man, who can barely walk with severe dementia needing to undergo surgery on his pelvis. Like, how do you even begin to do the after care with that???
Thankfully the hospital have said it's a hairline fracture and they won't do surgery. However, this means he is at HIGH RISK of breaking his hip. So the hospital have said today they will refuse to release him unless he goes into permanent care.
So this is the silver lining. His current home have said they'll happily take him IF his doctor adjusts his meds and it reduces his agitation. Because there is another man currently in the home who is very similar to dad and they can't have both of them. The other man is also getting his meds readjusted. If that doesn't work, the home will work with my mum to find him a place at one of their other residences. Worst case, he has an extended stay in hospital while they find him a permanent memory support room.
If you've been following this at all, you'll know how incredibly difficult it's been to get my dad into a room that specialises in dementia support. So although this whole ideal has been FUCKING AWFUL and I cant believe my dad has fractured his pelvis, at least he will get the 24/7 care he now needs for the rest of his life.
I'll feel better once we have a room for him, but I'm feeling grateful towards the hospital staff (all who have been so lovely) and the current home who are genuinely working towards a solution and have supported my mum, assuring her that she is incapable of providing the care that my dad needs and he must be looked after now by professionals.
