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Elder Rage

Psychiatric Assessment

When he got to the psych unit, he was so adorable, so normal, they released him, telling me they couldn't find anything wrong with him.

After attacking me for a second time, hitting and busting down a caregiver's door, and 40 caregivers later, I had to threaten the psychiatrist with a lawsuit if they released him and he came home and hurt anyone. They finally held him 2 weeks ("5250") and reported that he couldn't learn very well and that his memory was slipping.

It was so intermittent; he was able to act normal most of the time, and could still hide his life-long temper tantrums. He was a master at hiding that part of himself to anyone outside the immediate family, and that did not change. The professionals never saw it and thought I was a horrible daughter for not being compassionate about my "sweet slightly-demented" father.