My great grandfather moved in with me as he is having a hard time living alone and his cognition is starting to fade he is incredibly rude and claims false things due to his lack of senses in his older age and has fallen multiple times. I am starting to see that this situation could get worse and I am not sure how to proceed. I am thinking it would be best to have him stay at a facility that is properly equipped to handle him though I fear the family backlash from such a situation may be seen as taboo. Is there anything I should do to properly handle this situation? Do I need specific documentation or anything? I’m new to this and not sure how to proceed he wasn’t always like this he was a good person when he was younger but I fear my kids may be negatively impacted from how he acts towards them now. Please help, thank you
There’s an escalating approach to the level of additional care that you can consider. I’m not sure what’s available in your country/area, but you can find in-home caregivers that can come as many times per week as you wish, either to augment what you’re doing or just to give you a break. You could probably use a hand around the house as well since more of your family’s time will be spent caring rather than cooking or cleaning.
Similarly there are care facilities which are better equipped, and those also have a number of different levels of care available. They range from independent living to full time care.
Socialization is really important and it should be considered. If your great grandfather has friends or a support network outside of family, he should be encouraged to keep in touch with them. If he’s in a state of decline where that’s not feasible, then you might want to start considering a facility because that’s getting into the border of what someone can take care of on their own.
Also, just as an observation, “great grandfather” staying with you seems to be skipping multiple levels of care unless you already live in a multigenerational household.