Well, we’re back from Luxembourg. I’ll post full details later but at the moment I am not in the right frame of mind.
Today we admitted my Grandmother to what is in essence a psychiatric hospital. This is as a result of her dementia and her increasingly unpredictable behaviour since my Grandad entered hospital 4 months ago.
Things came to a peak earlier this week when she was found in the living room of our former family home (and by former I mean pre 1980) by the houses current owner.
I feel terrible just now as I was so complicit in tricking her into the assessment unit. I am struggling to live with the fact that we had to tell her bare faced lies to get her there and I am struggling with the particularly traumatic nature of our parting when time came to leave. She required to be removed from me by nurses as she pleaded with me not to leave her.
All in all very harrowing and I will post more when I feel strong enough to do so. Right now, I need a drink.
on Nov 30th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
Your going down the same road as I have had to do with my Father. Not a nice experience!
My Father has Vascular Dimensia and is slowly beginning to lose the plot, but with occassions of being completely normal. You just have to except that we all get old and it happens to us all, but it is a sad and hard time for the whole family.
on Dec 1st, 2006 at 11:53 am
Wow, what a harrowing experience for you! I’m so sorry.
I guess all you can do is just keep in mind why she’s there, the benefit of the fact that she’s safe and cared for. I think my Nan will end up somewhere similiar soon, she’s 90 now and the dementia is getting worse but as a family we keep putting off discussing it.
All the very best to you! P x
on Dec 1st, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Same illness Cotswoldgent. Vascular dementia. The periods of normality are what has led to us delaying the decision for so long. The fear that you could send her away for assessment when she is sometimes lucid just makes it worse.
Cheers to both of you for your kind words. It is amazing how much strength that can provide.