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I'm replying to something you said earlier a few times, in case you are still reading. You've mentioned that if you leave your mother alone she'll just watch TV. You also mentioned that the activities she was offered were not very stimulating. I am wondering if this is typical of memory care in general or if hers is especially weak in this area. In assisted living and even in the non-memory care SNF, there are usually some good group activities, which may include group trips outside the memory care. Does her memory care offer more interesting/challenging activities than the ones you have mentioned? If so, while the memory care staff can't force her to do this, you could ask them if they could put more effort into getting her to participate in some of these activities.

Alternatively, at this time, perhaps she does not yet belong in memory care, based on what you've said she does when she's home. If I understand correctly, you would have put her in assisted living memory care if it were possible, but since Medicaid normally does not pay for assisted living, she has to have memory care in a SNF. Perhaps she could be reevaluated to see if she could move out of the memory care and into the regular SNF location there. There would almost certainly be more activities, including some physical activities, than it appears are available there. You've mentioned she's talkative, and she might have more people with whom to talk if she were in regular extended care.
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Reply to Igloocar
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I wonder if your mom would eventually begin to engage more if she didn't get disrupted. You mentioned she has now been at her current home for 10 months or so. While that seems like it should be enough time to our thinking, brains work differently depending on what ails them. Plus, she has had so many times away from her current home that it may become brand new to her each time she returns to the facility. If you give her a good long while to have to get used to her current home and her neighbors, she may form relationships with them that do not involve sticky fingers (something her neighbors may not appreciate right now). Cognitive issues are so hard. But why not be more patient with her (even if she looks like she is not engaging for a long time) and the experienced people at the facility? Heck , you may find that you can even let go of some of the possible guilt you might feel for needing to place her somewhere safe - if only you all take a much needed, extended time out. Things are so dire when we are in the midst of things. If you step back, you could give their recommendation time to work. The time just likely won't be aligned with the time of people without these types of cognitive issues. Good luck and may everyone find peace.
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Reply to Lorenda
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freqflyer Oct 20, 2024
Lorenda, good point about each time she returns back to Memory Care it is like starting all over again learning about her current residence.
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I do hope that you are aware that disrupting a person with dementias routine is not only very hard on them but also those who care for them. So of course they want you to limit disrupting your mothers routine as it just makes it harder on everyone, including your mother.
Why don't you instead take turns bringing your families to her place and spend the afternoon together? That way it will be a win win for all involved.
Sounds like you may need to educate yourself a bit more about this horrible disease, so you're better prepared for what is yet to come, and won't be so surprised when the facility asks you not to disrupt your mothers routine so often.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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Payingforcare Oct 20, 2024
As mentioned we have tried that she acts up when we try to leave and once we leave she still becomes exit seeking. The visit also becomes more of redirecting her because she wants to leave the facility. Reality is only real way to stop her distress is not to visit and short of cut her off completely that is a hard sell to any of our family.

We already feel bad enough that we cannot take care of her at home despite having so many hands because our jobs do not allow us to do.

Her routine is watching ION their words. That is all she did when we did not visit so she could adjust. We suggested things we do at home like karaoke does not care. Knitting nothing.

At home she sings, reads children books to her grandkids, laughs, tells the same story of how her and dad met.

It is 100% a night and day difference.
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These outings are obviously causing your mother to have to readjust to memory care each week . It is causing your mother distress .

Breaking her routine of where she lives is not helpful . Since taking her out at all is causing a problem with a messy drop off then do not take her out at all. This is not uncommon for families to stop taking someone out who needs memory care .

Have the family visit her in memory care instead .
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Reply to waytomisery
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Payingforcare Oct 19, 2024
That is the unfortunate part she still acts up with visits she becomes exit seeking after we leave or wants to leave with us.
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I guess you could hire someone to sit with her during her disruptive periods so the staff isn’t pulled away from normal duties
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Reply to lkdrymom
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This type of request by a MC IS common when the resident comes back and starts exit seeking behavior or displays disruptive behavior, yes.

Why do you not understand that taking your mother out of the MC every weekend causes her to become too disruptive for the staff to handle, and that's not a good thing for ANYBODY, including mom? The staff and the facility itself is your mother's home, and home to the other residents as well. Not a place where you drop mom off when you feel like it, and then expect the trained staff to just deal with her shenanigans caused by having her schedule and routine disrupted. Thats disrespectful to the MC staff.

Furthermore, your mom is exit seeking the MC now bc you're taking her out every weekend! She's not able to understand why she must stay in the MC now when she was just taken out of there for a couple of days. If she manages to elope, God forbid, you'll have a really bad issue on your hands due to confusing your mother with mixed messages her brain can no longer comprehend.

Mom being disruptive may be entertaining for HER, but not for the other residents or the staff who have to manage all the upset residents. Sticky fingers and barging into other people's rooms is harassing behavior in a place where everyone deserves to lives in peace.

That said, the MC can indeed ask mom to leave if her behavior doesn't calm down because you refuse to stop taking her out for sleepovers. Thats really an unheard of thing to do in MC. The next step is you try to find another MC who will accept her with behavior issues due to being taken home for weekends, or, you get her into Skilled Nursing.

Your best bet is to listen to what the admin is saying to you and stop taking mom out of there for weekends. It causes her too much confusion. If you must take her out, go out for dinner or lunch and bring her back there to sleep.

Good luck.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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Payingforcare Oct 19, 2024
She did show signs of being exit seeking even if we would visit her since she would want to leave with us and after we left she would go looking for us. She was pretty much only adjusted when we did not visit but according to the staff she really did not engage with others she kind just watched TV for the most part. Which played a role why we take her out.

She is already in SNF MC cause Medicaid in our state does not cover MC outside of SNF.

I get it may be rude to the staff but what other alternative do families have? Even if we take her and bring her back she will still give them a hard time because she will want to leave with us.

Really only fix to this problem is to not show up. If limting it does not work what is next they tell us to not come at all because she is disruptive to others?

Seems like a weird request I get it though but we also want her to be happy and live life not just exist until she dies. What else can we do if they tell us visiting and taking her out is just too much. Cause even the drop off can be messy because she wants to stay with us and it would be the same if we visit would it not?
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I wouldn't just ignore it.
I would sit down with them and ask for FULL DETAILS as to what a "difficult reset" actually means. What behavior is she exhibiting that is troublesome to them.

YOU love this. SHE loves this. THEY are relieved of her for a weekend. And no one is even asking for a bit off the price of her meals.
I, to be honest cannot even begin to imagine what their problem is.
That is why I would ASK them exactly what problems she is causing them that they can with CERTAINTY attribute to her having love weekends at your place.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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Payingforcare Oct 19, 2024
According to them my mother starts to harass and barge into other residents rooms and becomes possessive of nearly everyone's time. She has no mobility issues and she can be a little sticky fingers.

She also becomes more exit seeking even triggered the fire door a couple of times trying to leave. Based off recommendations we did not visit much at first so she could adjust and after she appeared to adjust is when we started to take her out. In total she has been placed for nearly the year we placed her in Jan.
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