Dad fell and broke his hip Christmas night. To make a long story short...it was frustrating both in the hospital and rehabilitation, with the lack of knowledge that the staff in both facilities were equipped with in regards to Dementia.
One good thing that happened, was that a Nurse from the Nursing Service now comes by twice a week and checks on him.
Today a Nurse came that we had never met before. We found out that she use to be a Nurse on an Alzheimer's unit. I enjoyed visiting with her. She told me that the reason that she wasn't at the Alzheimer's unit, was because they were so under staffed. She couldn't tolerate some of the things they had to see and deal with , because there just wasn't enough help. One RN, Two CNA's, 60 Alzheimer's patients on that unit. This just made me sick. She didn't say how long ago that this occured. We Need These Nurses! I understand that it was hard to work under those conditions....Can you even IMAGINE an Alzheimer's Unit 60 to 3 ratio?
Thanks so much for posting to our site - and welcome to our community. I was sorry to read of your father's situation and of course about the nurse who saw your dad - 60 to 3 - just unreal.
I hope things will improve for your dad - he has you to look our for him so I am sure he is going to be cared for. For sure you as a caregiver will need help and support too. You really should check out our Caregiver Center. You'll find resources for support groups and tips to help you stay healthy so you'll be able to care for your loved one.
Hope this helps and all the best, sue (moderator)
Thank you Sue,
I appreciate your comment and invitation to check out the caregiver site. I will have to do that soon.
Sincerely, Kay