Sunday, June 6, 2021

Dementia is a Cruel Disease

 

Our daughter was attacked on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at a memory care institution.

 My husband and I arrived for a visit with her about 1:30 on Saturday, June 5. An aide said our girl was taking a nap. We went to her room, but her bed was empty.  The aide said, "I'll go find her."  When the aide didn't come back, I went to look for both of them. I found an aide sitting in the living room, but not the aide looking for our daughter. I went back to her room and waited. No one came. I told my husband I'd go find them. I walked around the hallway to the health center. I heard loud screaming and crying, lots of voices. I knocked. They opened the door, and when our daughter turned around, I almost fainted. Her little face was badly beaten. The aide who found her told me he saw a resident hitting our daughter with his fists. She stopped him and brought her into the center.  We took pictures and called EMS. I think the staff had already notified the director and the Director of Nursing.

 By an ambulance running hot, we took her to Memorial Hermann. The police were also called.  They took statements from the aide at the facility and came to the hospital to take pictures of our injured child. The officers said the resident is in jail waiting evaluation. I hope he isn't allowed in any facilities where he can hurt another person.  After imaging and no internal injuries, the hospital released our daughter.

 This resident had tried to hurt our daughter before. I was standing in the hallway with her when he came up and tried to choke her. I said, "Put your hand down."  He said, "I'm trying to kill myself."  In a moment of clarity, Shelley said, "NO! You're trying to kill me."  I asked the aide standing with him to report it.  I hope she did. I'll soon find out. I'll ask for paperwork.

 I heard aides huddled and talking. One said this resident had slapped her last Sunday. That would be May 30. No one called me to tell me about it. I'm guessing they wouldn't want me to know about it, if indeed, it did happen.  I also overheard someone say that they'd reported him for other abuses.  If this is true, why was he still there?  Why wasn't someone watching him or my daughter?  Where was the residential aide?  If they knew this person was aggressive, why didn't they do something?  If they knew.  I guess that's the question. But then, why didn't they know?

This shouldn't happen. We leave loved ones in facilities because their care is beyond our abilities. We expect them to be safe.

The attacker is in jail waiting for the psych ward. Can you imagine what his family is going through? They hurt too. 

Dementia is a cruel disease. 

I write this personal message in hopes that it strikes a chord with someone out there. A person who can help. It's not easy to share deeply personal situations. 

More research is needed NOW for Alzheimer's and Dementia. If research could find a vaccine for Covid-19, why not use Warp Speed for Dementia? For Cancer?  Is it true Big Pharma likes the monies from the horrific diseases?


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