Noise
There is a constant turnover of residents on Rosemarie's floor at the Care Home: a resident dies and their room becomes available. It is either filled by someone totally new or someone moved from a different floor (two of the floors are dedicated to dementia but the other two are Palliative Care and Learning Difficulties). Recently the new arrivals have contributed significantly to the noise level.
This is a problem for Rosemarie. Loud noises startle her and continuous loud noise disorients and distresses her. Her jolting increases significantly and there are often tears. She is clearly not happy.
We now have the Shouting Greek Lady I have mentioned before, The Shouting Greek Man, a new Shouting Lady with Bad Legs, and a Shouting Lady Who Doesn't Know Where She Is. Any combination of these can be in the lounge and if they kick off they will start off the others, plus a couple of usually quite quiet residents who seem to be distressed by the noise. Add the noise from the television and the clatter and chatter of meal times and you have quite a cacophony.
When I am there, especially for her meals (and when any of her friends are there) the general rule is to take her out of the loud situation as soon as possible and park her somewhere quiet. If it is a meal time this means moving to the other lounge or out to the Nurse's Station. Other times it means a quiet place on another floor or out in the garden.
Yesterday at supper the noise in the lounge was bubbling under and her friend Celia and I took her to the other, quieter lounge.
We just had her settled when a sweet Romanian carer brought in a new arrival, Shouting Man Who Doesn't Know Anything. Presumably he was too loud for the other lounge or it was full.
Carer: Sit here and have your supper.
SMWDKA: WHAT DO YOU MEAN SIT DOWN? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Carer: Sit down on this chair.
SMWDKA: WHAT CHAIR? I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. GO AWAY.
Carer manages to get him to sit in his chair (he seems to have some problems with his vision) and puts his supper in front of him, saying 'Eat your supper'
'I DON'T WANT ANY SUPPER. TAKE IT AWAY. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT IT?'
'I will help you'
'WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I DON'T WANT ANYTHING. TAKE IT AWAY. I WANT A POO.'
No immediate response from the carer, obviously getting frustrated.
'DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I NEED A TOM TIT'
I am sure cockney rhyming slang is very big in Romania.
Eventually she took him out of the lounge leaving his uneaten supper, and the noise disappeared down the corridor.
After all this Rosemarie was trembling and distressed. Luckily for us the man did not return, because the Sex Pest was lurking by the Nurse's Station and we couldn't really take her to another floor.
I still have to get the carers to see Rosemarie as emotionally vulnerable and that it is part of caring for her to shield her from stressful situations like this.
I spoke with the Good Nurse afterwards and she sympathised.
It is always going to be uphill, I fear.
This is a problem for Rosemarie. Loud noises startle her and continuous loud noise disorients and distresses her. Her jolting increases significantly and there are often tears. She is clearly not happy.
We now have the Shouting Greek Lady I have mentioned before, The Shouting Greek Man, a new Shouting Lady with Bad Legs, and a Shouting Lady Who Doesn't Know Where She Is. Any combination of these can be in the lounge and if they kick off they will start off the others, plus a couple of usually quite quiet residents who seem to be distressed by the noise. Add the noise from the television and the clatter and chatter of meal times and you have quite a cacophony.
When I am there, especially for her meals (and when any of her friends are there) the general rule is to take her out of the loud situation as soon as possible and park her somewhere quiet. If it is a meal time this means moving to the other lounge or out to the Nurse's Station. Other times it means a quiet place on another floor or out in the garden.
Yesterday at supper the noise in the lounge was bubbling under and her friend Celia and I took her to the other, quieter lounge.
We just had her settled when a sweet Romanian carer brought in a new arrival, Shouting Man Who Doesn't Know Anything. Presumably he was too loud for the other lounge or it was full.
Carer: Sit here and have your supper.
SMWDKA: WHAT DO YOU MEAN SIT DOWN? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Carer: Sit down on this chair.
SMWDKA: WHAT CHAIR? I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. GO AWAY.
Carer manages to get him to sit in his chair (he seems to have some problems with his vision) and puts his supper in front of him, saying 'Eat your supper'
'I DON'T WANT ANY SUPPER. TAKE IT AWAY. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT IT?'
'I will help you'
'WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I DON'T WANT ANYTHING. TAKE IT AWAY. I WANT A POO.'
No immediate response from the carer, obviously getting frustrated.
'DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I NEED A TOM TIT'
I am sure cockney rhyming slang is very big in Romania.
Eventually she took him out of the lounge leaving his uneaten supper, and the noise disappeared down the corridor.
After all this Rosemarie was trembling and distressed. Luckily for us the man did not return, because the Sex Pest was lurking by the Nurse's Station and we couldn't really take her to another floor.
I still have to get the carers to see Rosemarie as emotionally vulnerable and that it is part of caring for her to shield her from stressful situations like this.
I spoke with the Good Nurse afterwards and she sympathised.
It is always going to be uphill, I fear.
posted by Other Kosh at 8:52 am
2 Comments:
You know, one of the really important things you are doing through this blog is highlighting the emotional needs of Alzheimer patients - something I'm not sure is really talked about. It is your deep love for Rosemarie, and years of being with her, that enable you to be on her wavelength at least for what upsets her, even if you feel you can't communicate with her in other ways. She is so lucky to have you and you should feel good that you are doing so much to ease her path. I hope you are starting to write the book. This information is so important and it needs to be out in public where it can be used and recognised by those that need it.
Big hugs
Mxx
I admire you so much. The love you have for Rosemarie is the one thing that always comes through with your posts. She is very lucky to have you by her side as not many Alzheimer patients are lucky to have the caring support and unconditional love that you show. Please stay strong. I know there will be days when you will place your head in your hands and want to surrender to this awful disease. Dont put yourself down on these days. Just allow them to happen. Sending you buckets of love, Ellie xxx
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