Sister with dementia moved into care home: Vita's story of a hard decision
Vita placed her 64-year-old sister, who has rapidly progressing dementia, in a care home a couple of weeks ago. She still doubts whether there was any other option.
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A woman named Vita moved her 64-year-old sister, who has rapidly progressing dementia (a brain disease that impairs memory and the ability to cope with daily life), into a care home a couple of weeks ago. Her story shows the choice relatives face when looking after a sick person at home is no longer enough, Apollo.lv reports.
Roles have reversed
Vita is 12 years younger than her sister. As the elder sibling, the sister always looked after her in childhood. Now the roles have changed, and it is Vita who has to provide care. Supervision alone, however, has become insufficient, so she decided to place her sister in a care facility.
A hotel, not a care home
Officially, the facility goes by a different name: a social rehabilitation hotel. Vita used the same wording with her sister, telling her she was going to a hotel. Reviews of the place are said to be good.
Even after the decision, doubts keep Vita awake at night. She does not know whether there was another way out, or whether there was one at all. Her night-time sleep has not yet returned.
