Serious Request for Advice Concerning My Father

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My father's MD is a good guy, but he often does what he wants without consulting my sister or myself. However, we have no major complaints about him. Overall, he is a competent physician.

Yes, the staff at the assisted living facility mean well, including the social workers on staff, but they really don't know what to do. They simply cannot find a psychiatrist or psychologist who is willing to come by. I would ask my psychiatrist to do it. However, I would also have to pay his airfare from Kansas City to New York City. Plus, I doubt he would agree to it.

Why couldn't he live with you? There is no place like home.

He needs 24/7 care, and my place isn't really large enough to accommodate him and all the stuff which would come with him. I also can't imagine him living in Kansas.

Looking after aged parents at home is definitely a massive undertaking. The needs and demands of an elderly person are great. Think about having an adult sized toddler around!

You're right to entrust dad to the professionals I reckon.

I'm sorry but a competent doctor (and social worker in the facility) would have referred him to a psychiatrist a long time ago. And they do make calls to the nursing facilities. I was a nurse's aide for years and while it was rare, shrinks did come to do evaluations on residents.

The problem with diagnosing your dad at such a late date and with his attitude, he may not respond to CBT. YOu have to want help for it to work. CBT is about discussing your problems, your mental habits and changing them. And it's generally psychologists that do this type of therapy.

I would call the social case worker at this place and ask for a psychiatric referral. If they refuse, it looks like they are trying to get rid of him. They may be provoking him on purpose so that they have a "valid complaint".

Apparently, this one psychiatrist used to come on a regular basis, but she decided not to any longer, and they can't find another one to replace her.



That may be true in his case. He is already taking a bunch of neuroleptics and antidepressants (including Remeron), and none of them are working. I had hoped that some kind of therapy, such as CBT, might be an option.



That makes sense to me. I will mention it to my sister. She lives near my father and handles the situation on that level.