Dementia and Accident & Emergency do not a pleasant visit make.
It could have been far worse and thankfully wasn't an emergency on this occasion. I dread to think what would happen if mum had to be taken in an ambulance for anything.
My wife and our son, who recently turned a year old, had got back from a 2 week holiday last week. It was something that we booked long before dad's heart attack last November and we had been looking forward to it even more so after how difficult the last few months had been.
Mum had a fall on the Friday morning that we returned home. When we saw her on that Friday, we found her walking around as usual but had a bruise on her left cheek. She appeared OK despite the fall and I was told she had got up herself soon after falling. On the Saturday, after a GP had visited, it was suggested that she be taken to A&E to have x-rays to check for any fractures. This was something I couldn't do on my own - there is no way I could have taken her without the assistance of a carer but thankfully someone was able to accompany me.
So, off I went to the care home on Saturday afternoon and we began the first task of getting her dressed and into my car. This was achieved without too much fuss and she actually enjoyed the time out of the home. When we got to the A&E building though, things changed - you can imagine how terrified she was.
When we eventually saw someone to attempt to take blood, it couldn't happen. She is still strong for a 76 year old and doesn't keep still - it's not that she doesn't listen, it's the fact that the request or command doesn't register and she doesn't know what she's supposed to do. Staying still and being told "it'll be quick" doesn't mean a thing. So, we had to wait to see another doctor and for her to be sedated before they could perform the task - and when it did happen, it was a dreadful experience for her and for us to have to see how distressed she was.
Trying to take the x-rays wasn't easy either. We tried telling her she should sit still for a picture - but she couldn't do that. Once the sedatives had kicked in, it was late in the evening already so she was doubly tired and nodded off on the trolley. It was only then that the operators were able to take the photos they needed to.
In the end, and 4 hours in A&E later, the doctors were happy that there were no fractures, that her blood was OK but she was showing signs of dehydration, and that she had a urine infection that they could treat with antibiotics. I got her back to the care home, and had help getting her into and out of the car, the poor thing totally zonked out from sedative and being exhausted anyway.
It's something I'd rather not have to put her through again. A&E isn't any fun at the best of times (even if there is such as thing) and for my mother it must have been a terrifying experience.
Needless to say, I don't feel in any way relaxed at all now after the holiday. Apart from the visit to A&E, our house move has taken turns this way and that, and moving house isn't exactly fun either.
