I know it has been a while since I have updated this blog. Dad had been doing well but over the last few weeks he began to decline. His Alzheimer's is progressing at a faster rate and he is beginning to show signs of aggression. I think we all knew this was coming but were hopeful that it wouldn't happen especially since Dad always has such a good disposition.
He is not being aggressive towards family members but he was being aggressive with staff members at the nursing home. He would wheel himself all over the nursing home and would end up in other residents' rooms and then he would get very angry when the staff would try to take him out of the wrong room. Then he began to physically scuffle with the staff as well. He even scratched one of the CNA's during the scuffle. He was injured in the scuffle as well, receiving a small skin tear on his arm. On another day he made his way into the kitchen and when the staff told him he couldn't be there he told them "Yeah? Well it will take 3 of you a**holes to get me out!"
Dad had also been trying to get out the front door of the building as well. I know that he was just trying to go outside, he loves being outside, but it was still unsafe. With all that going on it was no surprise that the other day the social worker at Dad's nursing home called me into his office and told me that they felt it was time to find Dad an alternative placement in an Alzheimer's specialized facility. I wasn't surprised but I was sad that he had progressed to this point and that he had hurt himself and someone else in the process. I was concerned because it took us a while to find a place for him before and I was worried it would be very difficult to find him a place with an open bed in an Alzheimer's facility and still keep him close by.
I was so relieved when I found out that the only Alzheimer's facility close by had a bed in their long term care wing and they also have a secure wing for the serious Alzheimer's residents. They don't have a bed in the secure wing right now but he will be placed on their waiting list. Dad was moved to his new facility today, this makes his 4th facility in 3 months so I am hoping this one is our last move. The facility is a great facility and will be very good for him. Since he is not in the secure wing yet they have what is called a "wander guard" on him. It is an anklet he wears and when he gets near a door that leads outside the door automatically locks and if he happens to follow someone out when the door is open the anklet sets off an alarm which triggers a "code purple" and if they have a "code purple" then the alarm system sends a message to every computer in the building telling them exactly which door the alarm was triggered, and every staff member (from the director to housekeeping) must respond to that door. One of the best things I know that Dad will love is that they have a completely secure courtyard that has a CNA whose duty is to be out there for the residents who want to go outside. I love that dad can go outside even when we are not there to take him outside.
My concern was that being in this new facility wasn't going to change the fact that Dad goes into other people's rooms and gets very agitated when the staff tries to remove him and when I was discussing this with his nurse she said that if it gets bad then what they will do is they will put him in the secured wing during the day where he can wander all he wants and go in any room he wants, the nurse said "He won't bother anyone because they all do it" and then they will just take him to his own room at bedtime.
Dad had me, his oldest grandchild (Kathy's oldest son Mark) and his youngest grandchild (my youngest son Garrett) there with him for his move today and Dad was in prime form! He had us cracking up a good part of the day. I was a little concerned because he now has a roommate who was making some very loud gargling like sounds for about the first 15 minutes we were in his room. I thought for sure Dad was going to yell at the guy to shut up but Dad didn't even seem to notice the sound. At the beginning his nurse was asking me questions about him and she asked me if he had any problems with his hearing and I said no, then my nephew Mark said "You can hear fine can't you?" and Dad responded "Huh?" so Mark asked him again and Dad responded again with "huh?" LOL LOL perfect timing! Then, when the CNA was trying to take his temperature he put the thermometer in Dad's mouth and dad started sucking on it like a straw! The CNA was then talking kind of loudly to Dad trying to teach him what to do, Dad looks up at the CNA and motions for him to come closer and so the guy put his ear down by Dad and Dad says in a loud voice "I CAN HEAR YOU!" ROFLOL Garrett and I were cracking up!! So then the CNA tried again, I was telling Dad to do what I did and I got him to open his mouth and lift up his tongue, the CNA put the thermometer in his mouth and Dad didn't close his mouth, he kept it open and then all of a sudden his top dentures dropped down and he STILL kept his mouth open LOL LOL we were all cracking up! Mark then told him "You need to let them take your temperature or they are gonna have to take it the other way" and Dad looked at him and said "Oh I don't think so" then he said "They would have to crawl" ROFLOL too funny! Around 3:00 he decided that he was ready for a nap, I told him that when he woke up from his nap he should have his wheelchair and he said "Yeah then I can go all over... I like to do that" LOL yeah I know thats why you got kicked out of the last place LOL Then he laid down in his bed and told me "OK I'm ready, bye bye" and off to sleep he went. Garrett and I left at that time. I hope that means he was comfortable and adjusting well to his new surroundings. I will be going to see him tomorrow so I am hoping he has a good night and a good day tomorrow.
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