Dementia, my mum and our public Health System in WA.

[fordOwner]

I never knew how bad our Public Health System is it was untill I had experienced it for myself today.

Ill keep the intro brief but for the past 5 years or so I have been a live in carer for my mum (61) who has Dementia and emphysema.
It started off with her getting lost on the roads about 10yrs ago and doing "ditzy" things which we all thought was just her being silly. Then things started to slowly go "wrong" like forgetting how to do simple things like making a coffee to tying her shoe laces to knowing how to turn on the TV with the remote controll.

I was managing ok with doing all her cooking, cleaning, finances - much like looking after a child I suppose. With GREAT help from Alzheimers Australia with respite and home help from Amana Living.
But the past few weeks things got bad where I would wake up in the morning with mum screaming HELP ME! & THIS ISN'T RIGHT! she was uncontrollable and crying like a little girl.
One morning last week it was super bad and down right scary, like she had lost her mind and gone mad.

So I called an ambulance ($440 for non urgent) and she was taken to a Hospital ( I dont want to name it) any way before I vent I must say the nurses are AMAZING and are my new hero's.

Ok so heres what happend...

She was taken to a room and stayed over night and diagnosed with delerium.
The next day the doctors said she is on new drugs, she is fine and can go home I got the vibe that they just wanted her out of a bed but she looked fine and agreed.

Next morning same thing happend but WORSE!
Called another Ambo ($770 for lights and sirens)
on admission the Doctors said she might be able to go home the next day, I told them to sodd off and I made the very sad decision and told the doctors and social workers that I can no longer care for her and she must go to nursing home care.

SO anyway I went to visit her and the lift I got in to go to level 6 went strait to the roof level then all the way back down to the basement where it paused for a few seconds before heading back up and opening the doors back on ground level. A lady with a pram stepped in pressed the level 7 button which the button light did not work.
We had a chuckle that it wont stop (I did not mention to her what had just happend to me) anyway it did the same thing - up to roof then basement then level 6.... and nothing, the doors did not open and the lift does not have a "door open" button. SO I tucked my fingers in the door gap and prized the door open, the lady was quite stressed and I told her to get out and get another lift. (Since then my lift and height nighmares have gone to a new level so to speak) I later found out that Surgeons do not use that lift as it is unpredictable.

SO I went to mums room and the nurses told me the staff are on strike and cant feed her, I got a bit angry and a nurse surrenderd her dinner for my mum which was very very very nice of her but totally wrong!

Then on my way out I paid the $10 parking fee and drove to the boom gate where it would not open, the cars banked up behind me honking, I had to ask them all to revers up to let me out. Then the boom gate opend and stayed up! we all drove out.

Collin Barnett, Please pay hospital staff MORE! they are saving lives! im getting payed more than them and im a horticulturalist for the government.
And please mr Barnett, pump some more money into improving the facilities.

And to you guys, Look after your minds! My mum does not remember me at all now and tells me to F off now when she sees me. Its totally heart breaking. She's only 61 - this kind of thing happens at 80ish.
The studies show that the amount of people with dementia in Australia will blow out from thousands to the millions VERY QUICKLY!

ANYTHING that gives you memory loss is considerd to be dementia related, drugs, chemicals, alcohol and in my mums case smoking heavily.

Im sorry if this is a long post and the lecture but I need to get my experience off my chest and make it aware to you all.

Whitty.