My mother-in-law was taken away from visiting my FIL after she went after the nurses and caused a physical altercation. She was combative with the police so they sent her to the county pysc. Hospital . They didn't even keep her 24 hours! I just do not understand this. The woman is a so far gone it ridiculous. When the police asked her if she knew why her husband was in the hospital she told them because he has a rash on his penis from having sex with all those women. What? He uses a walker! Unbelievable. They didn't even test her for dementia. They gave her a prescription for risperdal and let her go. Will this stuff help at all? ( if she takes it) I can not believe the mental health care in this country.totally sucks!
there are lots of protections around taking away the rights of folks, elderly and otherwise, who display disordered thinking.
What would you like to see happen? Do you want MIL and FIL to have a higher level of care? what is YOUR level of responsiblity for them right now?
Unless you are their guardian, you are not repsonsible, legally for their well being. You are responsible for carrying out THEIR wishes, if you have POA.
If you find that their wishes are of detriment to them, I would resign POA in an orderly and legal fashion, call APS and tell them that these folks are vulnerable adults. But that's me. My feeling is, if I don't have the right to put them where they are safe, then the City/County/State is going to have to step up to take that responsibility.
Sadly, many of us have to step back in order to get our elders the help they need.
It works be slowing down the receptors in the brain that cause a person to become agitated, and afraid, and delays the need for them to get as combative, because it can be calming.
The thing is, that I agree with you, it doesn't make sense that people get rushed in and out of the system so fast. People really do need more time.
At the same time, a dementia evaluation really takes several different kinds of tests, that often are not as accurate when someone is in such acute distress as what you are saying here.
Many times, it helps to calm a person by returning them to their regular surroundings as soon as possible.
So, it can have side effects....dry mouth, sleepiness, sort of feeling "a little too calm" (zoned out) AT FIRST.....however..these are usually temporary, and after a week or two or so should start to really normalize. The trick with this med is to keep taking it, because it has a fairly short half life, and when a person stops taking it, the side effects start all over again, instead of lessening over time.
Hopefully she has a follow up appointment and they will be monitoring her dose, and then, as you suggested, getting her scheduled for testing.
Best of luck.