Re: Skilled Nursing or Home Care

[Guest guest]

Hi Robin,

I don't mean to jump in on your post to Sherry, but I am very interested in

knowing more about board and care facilities in the SF Bay Area. I would gladly

come to your caregivers meeting, but unfortunately, I live in NY. My mom is in

the Bay Area, currently in short term care, but we need to make a long term

choice for her soon.

Thanks,

> >

> > Hi,

> >

> > I am new to this group, my mom (85) was diagnosed with LBD about a month

ago. She has lived with me and my family for 10 years. She was previously

diagnosed with AD but I changed her health insurance and  the new Primary MD

referred her immediately to a wonderful Neurologist who then referred her to a

brilliant Neuropsychologist. This has been a lot to take in but very helpful in

her treatment. She has been on Seroquel for many years for hallucinations with

only a diagnosis of depression (from her previous health care plan and

physicians). We are now slowly taking her off the Seroquel and the neurologist

wants to try the Exelon patch again (she was on it for one week but then got a

UTI so the neuro took her off because her behavior was altered and she couldn't

tell if she was having any adverse reactions to the Exelon). She has recurrent

UTI's and is on antibiotics most of the time. It's very difficult to get her to

drink enough liquids to stay hydrated

> > and to take showers and baths to keep bacteria away. Of course, her LBD

keeps her from understanding the importance of either one of those things! We

have been to the ER numerous times for various reasons which were usually caused

by UTI's and now I believe medication reactions. She is up most nights and down

most days. The neuropsychologist suggested she go to an adult day care 3-5 times

per week to keep her engaged during the day so she will sleep at night. The

problem is making her go, she is resistant to going out for anything - dr. appts

are a nightmare for me. She has always liked being at home, in the house. I

haven't hired any in-home caregivers because I feel like it will be another

thing for me to coordinate and oversee. I have a couple of relatives who will

come and stay with her for a weekend or a few weeks to help out and I can get

out and get a break. My husband travels overseas, I have a 17 year old son who

is a junior in high school and

> > starting to search for colleges and a 20 year old son in his first year at

college and I can't give any of them my attention or at least very little of it.

Needless to say I am stressed, overwhelmed and burned out. I have taken her to

visit the Adult Day Care Center (required by the center before we actually apply

for admission). I felt like I was taking my special needs child to pre-school

for the first time, I'm going to send her out to figure out the world on her own

without me. I am visiting (on my own) skilled nursing facilities for when I feel

I just can't do this any more, I can't even imagine placing her in some of them

(very depressing). The major constraint is that she has Medicaid (Medi-Cal here)

which limits where she can go. Of course, the Assisted Living Facilities are

wonderful but so expensive. Even though she was only diagnosed recently we have

been dealing with LBD symptoms for many years and now we know what it is called.

I'm very

> > glad I found this group, there isn't a LBD support group that close to

where I live but I'm considering traveling to the nearest one. I live in the SF

bay area so driving 30-40 min is common. I hope to get to know you all better.

> >

> > Thanks for reading,

> > Sherry

> >

> >

> >