Dad with Alzheimer’s, 71, SECTIONED after 10 nursing homes refused to care for him
A DAD who suffers with Alzheimer’s has been SECTIONED after a string of care homes said they could not care for him.
Michael Mitchell, 71, has been forced to leave his care home after it closed last week - and now TEN others have turned him away due to his “challenging behaviour”.
His family have been forced to watch him sectioned - and now fear authorities hope his condition will worsen - and make him more manageable.
Daughter Amy said her dad needs to have his medication hidden in food and requires assistance with showering, meaning he is classed as “challenging”’.
But Shawe Lodge in Urmston, Gtr Manchester had discovered ways of dealing with the former estate agent which didn’t include keeping him sedated.
Now as its closed it’s doors the family are desperate for a solution - before Michael’s illness deteriorates at specialist Moorside Unit at Trafford General Hospital.
Amy said: “He was at Shawe Lodge in Urmston for three months and they started to manage to lower his dosage and some traits of his personality were coming back.
“Then we heard it was closing. Ten homes have come to meet and assess him and said ‘we can’t take him on’.
“They all said no. It’s quite heartbreaking and so frustrating.
“Me and my mum have no trust in the system whatsoever because it’s been so turbulent throughout the whole process.
“He’s lived in Trafford all his life and it seems there’s nothing anyone can do for him.
“For my dad it’s really upsetting. He’s in a confused state of mind - it’s just not acceptable.
“Will we end up having to wait until he declines to the point where he’s more manageable?
“We don’t want to hurry on the illness. This is not a permanent solution.”
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight years ago, Michael - a former semi professional footballer - has been moved from pillar to post.
At times Amy said he was “heavily sedated” and “isolated” because carers would increase his medication to make him easier to deal with.
She added: “When he needs personal care and showering it can take up to four staff members because he doesn’t understand what is going on.
“He started to get more agitated.
“They increase his medication and he was very sedated.
“Me and my mum said ‘this is not right’. He was just sleeping all the time.”
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In October Michael was moved to Shawe Lodge where he was “happy and settled”. But now the home closure - blamed on funding cuts - has left Michael back at “square one”.
Trafford Council and Trafford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said they have been dealing with rehoming residents affected by the closure.
A spokesman said: “This has proved to be a difficult task as some of them have complex needs that cannot be accommodated in a regular nursing home.”