Dementia again

[Rhodonite]

That sounds so hard, Tex, but it's good she has some nice neighbours looking out for her. Will she have another meeting or do you have to wait to hear back about Mondays meeting, first?

[Texaco Shirley]

There will be someone going in every day for a fortnight to assess what sort of care package is appropriate before it is outsourced to a care agency. Someone from this team phoned me today to discuss how things are going but I missed the call. I’ll call back tomorrow, he left quite a long message.

[speedy gonzalez]

It wasn't as flash as a Tile. Can't find the exact one we had but it was something like this.

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We also had a tracker that we could put on her key ring so if she got lost somewhere we could find her. It worked by the device having a mobile phone card in it and then we could access a website and find out where she was. It was given to us by social services I think but we never used it as she went into a home soon afterwards.
I think we still have it in one of the moving home boxes. You'd be welcome to have it if we can find it once we move home and unpack!

[Texaco Shirley]

That looks useful, I will have a look online thanks. That’s a very kind offer, thank you.

[Demelza]

I’m sorry Tex, that sounds really hard. When my grandad was really bad, we had a key safe installed outside, not for his use but so social services/caters etc. could get in even if he couldn’t open the door to them.

[Texaco Shirley]

We will have to consider that at some point but at the moment she’s still resistant to Carers and there’s a chance that someone being able to let themselves in might push into refusing the whole thing. Once it’s settled into a bit of routine we can think about it.

[Lily]

We had a keysafe installed for my grandparents too as they were always forgetting their keys. Perhaps that's a way to sell it?

[Texaco Shirley]

It might. She’d never actually be able to use it herself but she wouldn’t understand that IYSWIM.

[Luce]

Tex, sorry to just barge in but it might be worth getting a Tile to put on/in her shoes? My friend had to do that because her Dad was resisting any kind of tracking and there were a few times when he'd just do a flat out runner and he went missing. The Tile means it wouldn't have to be an obvious thing for her to have to fret over.

[speedy gonzalez]

Sounds a good idea Luce. The tracking device that we were given just looked like a key ring but that of course means them remembering to take the key ring with them.

[Texaco Shirley]

I could have sworn I’d replied to Luce. I think a tile may become useful but actually finding her way home is currently something she has absolutely no trouble with. I will look into it once the carer situation has settled down.

[Luce]

Yes, hopefully it might be something you don’t need. With my friends dad, he was being very resistant to any help (despite nearly burning down his house etc) and he knew exactly how to get around but was taking himself off to appointment that he hadn’t had for 10 years and essentially doing a runner. He was an official missing person a number of times before the Tile idea (he’d destroyed all tracking devices up until then!)

[Texaco Shirley]

Key safes, good or bad? Social services are talking about fitting one (only if I agree) after 2 episodes this week where she was locked out. Obv it would mean the Carers had access to a key without relying on the neighbour being home but my mum wouldn’t be able to use it herself, in fact only the Carers would have the code plus I’m wary of a key safe being a security risk.

[Cerise]

Could you fit a video doorbell too so you can see who’s going in and out?

[Derek Nimmo]

I think a very good idea, as long as the code is changed regularly.

[Demelza]

Key safes, good or bad? Social services are talking about fitting one (only if I agree) after 2 episodes this week where she was locked out. Obv it would mean the Carers had access to a key without relying on the neighbour being home but my mum wouldn’t be able to use it herself, in fact only the Carers would have the code plus I’m wary of a key safe being a security risk.

Can be good – it's what we used for my grandad. He had a couple of falls and my dad wanted to make sure there was a way into the house if he wasn't answering the door. It was only ever intended for emergency use (sorry, didn't make that clear in my earlier post). Do Social Services mean that all the carers would use that instead of ringing the door each time though? I'm not sure I would be happy with that.

[Texaco Shirley]

It would only be for emergencies when she’d locked herself out or couldn’t find a key inside to let them in. It would be of limited use if she e.g. had a fall as she always puts a security chain and bolt on the door. This is some way down the priority list as her physical health is actually very good for her age.

[Texaco Shirley]

When I say security risk I’m worried that a key safe in the porch advertises the fact that there’s a key there for the taking and a vulnerable person inside.

[Derek Nimmo]

They can be placed quite discreetly though, like down by a drainpipe, out of normal eyeline. Alternatively I'm sure some must exist that have been mocked up to look like electricity boxes etc.

[Texaco Shirley]

True, I’ll see what they suggest.