health information
Is it risky to leave a person with Alzheimers / dementia alone?
My neighbor with this diagnosis of Alzheimer’s / dementia is left at home alone for several hours at a time. If this is a cause for concern? I do not want to cause trouble for her son, her caretaker. Please tell me what you think. Do I only need to take care of my own affairs? “I wanted to propose to her son that home care services available, who helped him with the care of his mother, but he said they would not allow” strangers “into the house.
-
-
#3 written by ♥Shortstuff13♥ 2 years ago
Yes, it is indeed risky to leave someone alone when they have Alzheimer’s/Dementia. Your neighbor should not be left alone & I’m wondering why her son is doing so. They can take off walking & get lost, or take off in the car, & become terribly lost also. (this happened to two of my aunts years ago) A neighbor came in to stay with them after they took off, & in time, they had to go into a nursing home. Her son told you his mom wouldn’t allow strangers, but she’ll get used to the company in time & may actually enjoy someone to sit with them.
-
#7 written by rosebud 2 years ago
I suppose it depends upon the severity of the dementia/alzheimer’s. There are people who live alone with both conditions with only folks to check in on then occasionally. I suppose this lady’s son must be the judge of what his mother can handle. It might be kind of you to talk to him and mention that there might be help available to him through local churches or social services.
-
#8 written by lady_catseyes 2 years ago
It depends on how advanced the Dementia is. If this neighbor is only in the beginning stages of Alzheimers, then they can be left alone for more than a few hours. Usually at that point, they’ve only just started having problems recalling names, dates, faces, where they put their keys, etc etc.
However, if this neighbo is in advanced stages of Dementia, then they could be a danger to themselves or their property. They might start the stove and forget its going or walk out of their house and end up lost.
If you suspect this neighbor is being neglected because they are being left alone, then call Family Services or Social Services and have them check on the situation. YOu can never be too careful.
-
#9 written by janey 2 years ago
It depends entirely on what stage of the disease she is in. As the disease progresses the safety issue becomes a real concern. Does this woman wander with no awareness of safety? Does she still use the stove? Is she just forgetful but easily reminded. Does she still know telephone numbers to call for help if needed.
Maybe you could share your concerns with your neighbor. Just make conversation and find out where his mother is at. If possible, and you want to, offer to stay with her occasionally or maybe suggest to him some day care programs she might enjoy to give him away time. I think it’s almost always a good idea to follow you gut and yours seems to be telling you to look into things.
- Comment Feed for this Post
For now, she may not have given him any worries. But that is due to
change in the near future as the disease progresses. He’s foolish to
allow his mother to be alone. She can turn on any heating element,
forget about it, and the house can burn down. I have heard of that
happening from a personal source. You can’t predict how someone
with that disease, can react in a crises. When their minds are like
a childs, they can’t be relied upon. He’d be wise to pay for a sitter
to come in when he has to be away. If nothing more, than to be a
safety factor for his mother, so she won’t hurt herself accidentally.
I would call the aging/disabilities dept, in your county and tell them
your fears. Perhaps they can investigate and mandate that this
woman go into a care facility to be protected. The man is negligant
and careless. There’s nothing more to be said.