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Mom, has early dementia and just got another roommate and thinks she is responsible for keeping the roommate from falling. The RM has dementia as well, can't hear good and cannot walk. Mom, thinks she responsible for calling the nurse and telling them that her RM needs to go to the bathroom and etc. How do you handle this situation?

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If your Mom has dementia or memory loss, I don't know any other solution than to ask her to be moved to another room.

Is she on any meds for anxiety? This may take the edge off her worrying, or it might not. I would try talking to the admins or staff about it and see if they have any suggestions. She can't be the first person to do that in the facility.
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Reply to Geaton777
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You don't handle this situation at all. The nursing home has its own staff that handles it. You say your mother has early stage dementia. She would probably be better off with a roommate who is less debilitated as the one she has now. Anti-anxiety meds can help her too. Talk to the Director of Nursing at the facility and to your mother's PCP. Just make sure the nursing home knows that you will approve for your mother to have a light dose of anti-anxiety meds as needed and that they do not have permission to give her unnecessary heavy duty medication that will keep her doped up and sedated all day and night.
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Reply to BurntCaregiver
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Nursing facilities may try to place residents in rooms with similar conditions, probably why mom is rooming with another resident with dementia.

Good luck in getting her moved to another room if that is the route you take.
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Reply to Beedevil66
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I agree, anti-anxiety medications and a switch of roommates, if possible.
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Reply to MG8522
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@Beedevil6

I've been to several nursing homes and observed roommates with very different conditions put together intentionally. They'll pair a person with mild dementia that's still mobile and can function with a wheechair-bound, non-verbal invalid. The desired outcome is the resident who isn't so bad off will look after their roommate and this makes the staff's job easier. It's wrong, but I've seen it.
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Beedevil66 May 2, 2026
You're exactly right, Burntcaregiver; they really do do this to make their job easier. They also can (and do) dig in their heels if a resident wants to change roommates.

It is wrong. Maybe the residents will get used to each other
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I did ask the social worker if her roommate could be moved, she had only been in there for two days. The social worker said my mother which has been in that room for a few weeks would have to be moved since she was the one stressed. I asked about putting someone else with mom that would be able to do things for themselves. But it wasn't something she wanted to do. So I guess Mom will have to adjust to her RM. I don't really know what else to do, Mom likes her room and doesn't want to move.
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MG8522 May 2, 2026
Have you asked her doctor for medication to control her anxiety? It could really help. (It's sweet that she's so concerned, but not healthy for her to be worried.)
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My mom started doing this with her roommate. She thought the roommate was having heart problems. She kept alerting the staff. She finally stopped doing that, but it took a while. It gave her a sense of purpose in life, which actually helped. The staff took it well.
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