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Called the place last night to see if grandma took her meds any yesterday and they said that she refused all day long until her 9pm meds last night. She goes to bed around 6pm so they have to wake her ...Read More

Called the place last night to see if grandma took her meds any yesterday and they said that she refused all day long until her 9pm meds last night. She goes to bed around 6pm so they have to wake her up to take her bedtime pills. Between them having crushed them and mixing them in with pudding and her being half asleep still, SHE ATE THE PUDDING. Unfortunately, most of her nighttime meds are calcium, potassium, tylenol, etc. I know that the place doesn't have a "crush order" because I called her fam. doc. today and he didn't know about her not taking pills. The place hadn't notified him. I know for a fact that her calcium, potassium, and coumadin can't be crushed but I'm pretty sure they've been doing it. Not that she's taken most of what they crushed anyways. Called in after breakfast this morning and they said that she didn't want to get out of bed or take her meds but after they got her up and dressed, she finally agreed. So maybe the worst of it is over. That's 2 pill times in a row now that she's taken them, it's a start. But then again, with dementia, you never know what's coming next. There really aren't any "patterns". lol Her ER discharge paperwork said to have family doc follow up in 1-2 days and schedule an MRI for early this week. Talked to docs office today and the girl said that she'll be out to see him "sometime later this week" and that he won't schedule the MRI until after he's seen her. Should I be concerned about this? He was usually pretty good about seeing her when she was to be seen. If an ER doc saw her while she was having one of these episodes and said she needs an MRI to locate the cause, my reasoning would be that the fam doc could schedule the MRI for beginning of the week anyways even if he won't actually be seeing her til later in the week. Our whole family has had qualms about her family doc before but she has always refused to switch doctors. I don't know if I'm right in being concerned about his lack of interest this week or whether my prior prejudices about him are clouding my judgment. Oh the drama. It's ALWAYS something. The girls said that she's still in a grumpy mood today but it's already 10am and she hasn't cursed at anyone yet today. That's an improvement. LOL I'm thankful even for the small things! Got too busy to visit yesterday while my daughter was in school and was afraid to take her along to visit when grandma is like that so I'll have to make sure that I get in to see her for awhile today. Maybe it'll help. Maybe it'll make it worse. Who knows!

I hope all of you have a good day with your parents.

Amy

Oh Deefer, my condolences. I have a semi high tolerance for puke and poop but NOT while I'm eating dinner! I can get myself through cleaning messes like that but I can't bring myself to touch anythin ...Read More

Oh Deefer, my condolences. I have a semi high tolerance for puke and poop but NOT while I'm eating dinner! I can get myself through cleaning messes like that but I can't bring myself to touch anything or function properly until I go and get a quick shower to scrub. I don't feel clean until I've scubbed myself raw clear up to my elbows. lol. My weakness is oozy wounds. Luckily, I haven't had to deal with anything like that with grandma.

Congratulations Bobbie! I bet your mom is as happy for you as we all are.

Dtflex, be careful of some of the reflux meds. I know for a fact that Pepcid will worsen dementia and confusion i ...Read More

Congratulations Bobbie! I bet your mom is as happy for you as we all are.

Dtflex, be careful of some of the reflux meds. I know for a fact that Pepcid will worsen dementia and confusion in some older folks. Not sure about some of the others though. Grandmas PCP started her on pepcid for reflux and WOW! Look out! A doc at the ER was the one who informed me that it shouldn't be prescribed to the elderly other than as a last resort. She has done okay on other reflux meds but even the generics of Pepcid were not a good mix with her dementia. Just watch carefully for the first few weeks. As far as the episodes she's having, yes, they ALWAYS happen on the weekends. That's just some of the sweet sweet irony that goes along with the job. I noticed this coincidence quite a while back as well. haha. I would talk to her PCP and tell them exactly what you're observing. When it's happening, how she reacts, etc. and let them decide. You may have to keep after them too. I talked to grandmas pcp a number of times about her anxiety and OCD behavior to no avail until she flipped out and had an attack in his office one day. Surprisingly enough, we went home with a scrip for anxiety meds. I have to agree that geriatric docs are sometimes better at knowing which meds to prescribe to the elderly than general pcp's though. Grandma's doc does pretty good but there have been a few times that he prescribed meds for her that didn't work well or had VERY negative affects to find out from a hospital doc that those particular meds should NOT be given to the elder under most conditions. Anti-Anxiety meds fall into this category as well. The first med prescribed to grandma was a nightmare and when she ended up in the hospital, found that it is not good for the elderly. It makes them to groggy and causes falls and serious injuries. I wish I could remember what that one was called so that you knew which one NOT to let them prescribe but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was called. I'm thinking Diazapam. I know it ended in "pam" but most of the anxiety meds do. It affected her so bad that they actually pumped her stomach and gave her a shot of couteracting medication to get it out of her system as quickly as possible. The ER and hospital docs were completely dumbfounded that he would actually prescribe that med to her at her age........but there we were. On any new anxiety med, watch them CLOSELY. And I've also found that most docs want them to take anxiety meds at bedtime as a general rule so that if it does impair their motor skillsor makes them groggy, they sleep through it. If your mom gets up to go at night like my grandma does, I highly recommend giving morning doses. Just some ideas of things to ask about and talk about with your moms doc if they prescribe something for her.

SS, thank you so much for all of your prayers. They are appreciated! For as much as this thread is great for stress relief and finding others who can relate, I have found the one thing that it doesn't help with. Unfortunately, knowing that others understand how we're feeling and what we're going through never seems to help ease the pain of watching them diminish before our eyes. I don't know that there is anything that eases that pain or makes it any easier to watch and accept. I find myself praying for all of us. For the strength to make it through each day. For God to console us in our grief as we watch helplessly as they fade. For peace and comfort for all of our loved ones as they take their final journeys. Somedays, the best we can hope for is that they are not experiencing pain or discomfort and hoping that they will be at peace in a better place when the journey comes to an end. I ask God to watch over each and every one of them.

Amy

My 84 yr old grandmother gets recurring UTI's and the dementia is the first thing that tips me off to have her checked. In older folks, UTI's can and often do affect them mentally. With my grandmother ...Read More

My 84 yr old grandmother gets recurring UTI's and the dementia is the first thing that tips me off to have her checked. In older folks, UTI's can and often do affect them mentally. With my grandmother, they acually affect her much more mentally than they do physically. So to answer your question, yes. It is not uncommon. The dementia, hallucinations, and delusions should clear up as the infection does. I have seen my grandmother become completely sane again with 24 hrs of starting antibiotics if they give her the right one.

195Austin, I'm with you there. My husband and I both want to be cremated. Just my personal opinion but the whole funeral, casket, service, viewings, seem like such a waste of time and money. Too much ...Read More

195Austin, I'm with you there. My husband and I both want to be cremated. Just my personal opinion but the whole funeral, casket, service, viewings, seem like such a waste of time and money. Too much "show" if ya know what I mean. My hubby and I both joke that we wish it were legal to just bury people in the back yard. Just pitch me in a pine box and dump me in a hole. I'm already gone, what do I care. We have arrangements to be cremated and then just have a small memorial for family and friends to get together and celebrate our passing as they see fit. Keeping it simple. But everyone is different. To each their own. :)

Hey Bobbie, maybe I'll have all of you guys spread my ashes at sea from the boat! Remember to use the back of the boat, though. Use the front and those headwinds might have me layin' all over the deck! What a damper on the rest of the cruise. lol

Oh Bobbie, I am long overdue for a boat drip. I'll be packed, ready, and waiting at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Just tell me when. In the meantime, I think I'll have a few boatdrinks while I'm waiting. ...Read More

Oh Bobbie, I am long overdue for a boat drip. I'll be packed, ready, and waiting at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Just tell me when. In the meantime, I think I'll have a few boatdrinks while I'm waiting. Ya know, for practice. Cheers!

Amy

Hope your mom's doing a little better today. If she's still sleeping alot, make sure you're taking some time for yourself to relax. Sit down with a coffee and some boat porn whenever possible. Sayin' ...Read More

Hope your mom's doing a little better today. If she's still sleeping alot, make sure you're taking some time for yourself to relax. Sit down with a coffee and some boat porn whenever possible. Sayin' a prayer for both of you......all of you, Sarah too!

Grandma is actually my "in-law", too. It's my hubby's grandma. Dementia and Alz are so tough to deal with because of the way they react differently in everyone. Unfortunately, the whole process is tri ...Read More

Grandma is actually my "in-law", too. It's my hubby's grandma. Dementia and Alz are so tough to deal with because of the way they react differently in everyone. Unfortunately, the whole process is trial and error. I went through alot of trials and alot of errors before I found this site. It has helped so much and actually being able to give suggestions to others who understand and are going through the same ordeals helps also. It at least makes it seem like all my errors may do some good for someone else. I like challenges and so I try to look at each day and each task as a challenge with grandma. It gives me kind of a creative outlet. You gotta be sneeky, tricky, and sly with them most days. I've found that it helps to "think outside the box" on most days. Takes away some of the tediousness of it all. And hey, when we screw up and it goes bad, I just chalk it up as something funny to put on the board to brighten everyone elses day. We gotta stick together and help each other out whenever possible. Hang in there.

Deefer, I'm glad to hear that grandma's not the only one that's pregnant. lol Her ER doc was very good about it. When she told him, he offered to call Oprah. Said they could all be rich when that sto ...Read More

Deefer, I'm glad to hear that grandma's not the only one that's pregnant. lol Her ER doc was very good about it. When she told him, he offered to call Oprah. Said they could all be rich when that story hit. Except that then grandma was so excited that she was gonna meet Oprah! Luckily she forgot all about the Oprah part about half an hour later as we moved on to bigger and better crazies. I find that most of the time, I enjoy my visits with her more now that alot of the 24/7 weight has been lifted but with the UTI visit I also found that apparently you do get desensitized to it by being around it all of the time. I had a much harder time dealing with the hysterics and aggression that night than I would have a month ago. Just not as immune to it as I was when she was here and I dealt with it all of the time. I guess it has its ups and downs. Just think how much you'll appreciate your retirement after all you've been through. You deserve it!

Hahahahaha. Hey guys, just got an email with bumperstickers for seniors on it. Had to share a few of the funny ones.

"When I was younger, all I wanted was a nice BMW. Now, I don't care about the W."
 ...Read More

Hahahahaha. Hey guys, just got an email with bumperstickers for seniors on it. Had to share a few of the funny ones.

"When I was younger, all I wanted was a nice BMW. Now, I don't care about the W."

"I asked my wife if old men wear boxers or briefs. She said....depends!"

Hope everyone's having a great day!

Amy

Wow, Tennessee. Your dad sounds like a great guy. Farmers are the hardest working people on earth and not too many people realize that. Besides being able to be very proud of your dad, it must also ma ...Read More

Wow, Tennessee. Your dad sounds like a great guy. Farmers are the hardest working people on earth and not too many people realize that. Besides being able to be very proud of your dad, it must also make it much easier on you that he is able to do more to help himself like cooking and picking up after himself. Your are seriously one of the lucky ones. Congratulations.

Deefer, Well now you know to keep track of all of the money that you're spending out of your pocket. When it builds up to a certain point, you know to ask your fam to pitch in and......POOF! I bet another "account" might be found. These are good things to know. LOL A word of advice from me to you to save you some aggravation on Mother's Day.....Be sure to explain to your mom well in advance that you will be going out with hubby on Mother's Day "to allow her more time to spend with her children that she never gets to see". Wink, Wink. I know from experience that siblings who don't want to help also get jealous and feel guilty about all the work you're doing. Don't know if this would be the case with yours or not but I'd hate to see them go out of their way to make sure that mom notices you're the only sibling NOT there on Mother's Day. Siblings can be VERY petty when it comes to this sort of thing. They have nothing valuable to build themselves up so instead they will try to do or say anything to make you look bad to try and earn unwarranted favor with mom. All of us here know what's going on when stuff like that happens and we can blow it off to some extent but why go through the aggravation if you don't have to. I'd hate to see something so petty put any kind of damper on the day if you and your hubby are actually going to get to out together. Glad to hear that you're gonna get a much needed, much earned vacation soon. Way to put your foot down! Good job!

SS, I think that it's pretty common/normal for his condition. At least from what I'm hearing. Has a doctor checked him out to see if they could find a physical cause for the problem? Sometimes there are medications that help to regulate these sorts of problems but it all depends on what is causing it. I'd hate to see it not treated under the assumption that it's just the late stage ALZ. Grandma has had to take meds for her urinary incontinence for over a year now and they also gave her a "cooter cream" that she has to put on each night before bed that is supposed to help strengthen her bladder walls. Her meds definately help! I have no personal experience with what might be available for men and/or fecal incontinence but would definately check into it if I were you. Good Luck!

CD, has your mom been diagnosed with parkinsons by any chance? It is very hard for them to chew foods and part of the disease is that they forget to swallow and have trouble swallowing. This is what ...Read More

CD, has your mom been diagnosed with parkinsons by any chance? It is very hard for them to chew foods and part of the disease is that they forget to swallow and have trouble swallowing. This is what puts them at such high choking risk while they're eating. If she has not been diagnosed, I would suggest having her checked. Ask her doctor to recommend and refer her to a neurologist to be screened. If it is Parkinsons, there are a few medications that may help this problem at least for awhile. If it is from her having a disease, there may not be much, other than meds to help control the symptoms of the disease, that will help her to chew and/or swallow properly. Good Luck!

vdburton, I understand to an extent how you feel. My husband promised his grandmother and grandfather years ago that he would take care of them because he knew that nobody else would. He promised the ...Read More

vdburton, I understand to an extent how you feel. My husband promised his grandmother and grandfather years ago that he would take care of them because he knew that nobody else would. He promised them both that he would never put them in a nursing home. For the first half of last year, I spent more time at grandma's house helping her than I was at my own house with my own family. We decided it would be easier (in some aspects) to move her in with us so that I could at least spend time with my husband and daughter while caring for grandma. It worked for awhile. But it quickly consumes you and your life and every breath out of your body. Stress fills the house and things can get ugly. It honestly takes a strong marriage, a strong family, and much much patience and understanding to make it work. IT IS NOT EASY!!! As I'm sure you well know already. Your husband is apparently a great guy to have done so well so far. Does he seem to be as stressed as you are?

I'll fill you in briefly on what has just occured at our house very recently and maybe it will help. As I said, my husband promised them that he would never put either of his grandparents into a nursing home as so we brought her to live with us. We didn't know what else to do. 24 hr inhome care was outrageously priced and not an option. I looked online for a list of "Private Care Homes" in our town and surrounding area. I called and set up appointments to meet with them to take a tour of the facility. I then informed my husband that we were going to look at a few places, no if's and's or buts! Once we toured these facilities, we realized that there are places out there that will take great care of your loved ones that are not at all like "nursing homes". My husband was so surprised at these facilities. He didn't know that they existed. We live in a fairly small city and there were approx. 15 of them within a 50 mile radius of our home. He had no qualms about placing her in one of these residences. While touring the home that we chose for her, my husband and I both joked that "I'd live here!" It's nicer than our house and you get homecooked food 3 meals a day. I was her caregiver for so long that I was afraid that, even as excited as I was to get a life back, I would have trouble relinquishing those duties to someone else or that I would be so worried about whether they're doing a good job. The point of all of this is that there ARE places out there that are really nice and have really great staff that are well trained and well informed and equipped to deal with dementia in the elderly. I personally wish we would have looked sooner. Grandma has only been there a few days but I have already noticed that since we were careful in choosing her new home and are completely comfortable with the staff there, the stress levels have dropped to ZERO in our house. And I can personally attest that I now enjoy spending time with her there more than I ever did at home because I"m not stressed, tired, and ready to snap. At home with us she was a 24 hr a day job that I could not get away from.....ever. Now I choose to spend quality time with her because someone else is doing all of my "dirty work". My suggestion would be to start doing your homework and try to locate a personal care home now. That way, when you get completely drained and stressed and you and your husband need some time together, you have a place picked out that you're comfortable with and place her in respite care there, even if it's only for a weekend. If you've done your homework ahead of time and chosen a place carefully, you can enjoy your time away stressfree. Good luck.

I have something that I want to share with EVERYONE on this board. We went to look at a Private Care Home for grandma last week and they gave us a really nice gift bag full of goodies. Among these goo ...Read More

I have something that I want to share with EVERYONE on this board. We went to look at a Private Care Home for grandma last week and they gave us a really nice gift bag full of goodies. Among these goodies was a book that they highly recommended any and all caregivers to read. I have been reading it and it is SO informative. I wish someone would have told me about it 8 months ago. I look back now, knowing what I know, and see how much smoother everything could have gone and how much we screwed up. We did the best that we could with the info that we had, but I now know that we could have done so much better had we understood the nature of the disease called dementia.

The book is called "The 36-Hour Day" by Nancy L. Mace, M.A., and Peter V. Rabins, M.D., M.P.H.

Pirategal, I remember reading alot of your posts and thinking "yep, that's how I felt" or "yeah, I can relate to that". I think this book may really help you to understand what's going on and make it easier to cope with the situations.

I don't like "hocking products" on places like this but this book has really helped me so much and I wanted to let all of you know that it's out there. Like I said, I really wish someone would have told me about it sooner. It would have made so much of the last 6--8 months much more bearable. And it's only $10 at Borders. I'm not sure where else it's sold. If you try to get it, try to get the fourth edition. The book has been around for 20 some years but the fourth edition has added materials that the previous editions did not. Hope this helps some of you the way its helping me.

Thanks Bobbie. I'm learning to relax again. I was surprised how quickly I lost that ability and that it doesn't come back at the snap of a finger. Don't remember when you said your flight is but it mu ...Read More

Thanks Bobbie. I'm learning to relax again. I was surprised how quickly I lost that ability and that it doesn't come back at the snap of a finger. Don't remember when you said your flight is but it must be coming up soon. Good luck with your travels. Glad to here your mom is settling in. That'll make it so much easier for you while your gone. Feel free to wave at me as you fly over Pennsylvania. :)

Hey everyone!!!! I didn't miss the boat, did I ?!

Keep going Maxine. You're doin' great!

Bobbie, sounds like you and your mom are both doing better these days. So happy for you. ...Read More

Hey everyone!!!! I didn't miss the boat, did I ?!

Keep going Maxine. You're doin' great!

Bobbie, sounds like you and your mom are both doing better these days. So happy for you. Sure, there are the "dementia days" mixed in...but isn't it great when they have good days!

Grandma is still in rehab so I'm really enjoying my time off. Unfortunately, she's not adjusting well and I'm not real happy with the facility that she's at. They are just SO DISORGANIZED. Nobody knows anything in there. When I ask a question, the only answer I ever get is that I have to talk to another person and that person (no matter who it is) is NEVER available. Hmmm. Now I'm shopping around at other facilities. Debating on how to handle it. I don't want to traumatize her by moving her unnecessarily but I'm just not completely comfortable with her where she's at. Breaks my heart to leave after I visit. The dementia, delusions, and hallucinations have accelerated since she's been there. She told me yesterday that I had to get her out of there right away. She doesn't like being raped. She has a completely lucid roommate that is with her all the time so I know it's just delusions but it's not like you can convince grandma of that. To her.....it's real! And I can see the fear on her face when the male aide comes to her room. She's had it out for him since the minute she got there her first day so I kind of feel sorry for this poor fella too. Just breaks my heart to see the fear and disappointment on her face when it's time for me to leave. Makes me wanna cry. My fear is that since it's due to the delusions, this fear is gonna follow her no matter where I place her to finish her rehab. I did find a place that only has one male aide and they assured me that due to her circumstances, they could make sure that he doesn't interact with her at all during her stay. They would make special provisions. They also have a permanent Memory Wing residence at this new facility that may come in handy in the event that she might settle in there. I'm thinking about moving her and hoping that the pros outway the cons in the long run. Geez, even when she's not here, I need a nice long boat ride and good stiff drink.

Bobbie, you bring the boat and I'll bring the Mai Tais!

Hope all of you have your "old toads" in bed and are enjoying what's left of your evening.

robert888, you're full of great tips. Of the many that you mentioned, some she wouldn't be able to do but alot of them are worth a try. I wish I had some ideas to give you for "guy things" but I'm co ...Read More

robert888, you're full of great tips. Of the many that you mentioned, some she wouldn't be able to do but alot of them are worth a try. I wish I had some ideas to give you for "guy things" but I'm comin' up blank. Sorry.

hair, she used to enjoy needlepoint "back in the day". I've asked her about trying it again but she's afraid of the sharp needle and says her sight and eye/hand coordination isn't good enough. But what you're talking about (if I'm understanding correctly) would be similar but easier for her to do. And no sharp metal needle to worry about.

So many of you have had great ideas and I really appreciate it. I'm compiling lists of things to try and lists of things to pick up at the craft/hobby stores so that we can try in the future. Thanks a million. As we try them, I'll try to find the time to post results on what works and what doesn't. Maybe it will be of assistance to others who have the same dilemma.

Hey everyone. Sounds like it was a long day all around for everyone today. Must be something in the water! Just wanted to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Grandma's transfusion went well ...Read More

Hey everyone. Sounds like it was a long day all around for everyone today. Must be something in the water! Just wanted to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Grandma's transfusion went well today. She was pretty lucid this morning so that I could explain and she could understand what was gonna go on. She slept though the first part and then peed through the second half, once the lasix kicked in. They'll test her again in about a week to see if the blood stayed or if she's low again and will need more. Here's hoping!

I think we all deal with the repetition to some degree or another. When grandma asks me the same questions over and over....I always give her the same answer over and over. Now she stills asks me the same questions but when I give her "the look"...she says, "I know, I know....." and then repeats what my answer to her always is for that question. She knows the answer but can't fight the compulsion. She has to ask. She just can't help it. OCD. Gotta love it.

Bobbie, I got a good laugh out of your post. You are too amusing! And at the end of the day.....a good laugh is exactly what I need. You're latest posts have highlighted one of my biggest fears of the past week. I really did need a break and grandma going into rehab is giving me that break but I'm REALLY liking the freedom that I've had all week. Still running ragged but at my own pace. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to readapt and readjust all over again when she comes home. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to learn the patience all over again. What if I'm bitter or resentful for having to give my freedom away again. It's freakin' me out. I know that I'll suck it up and do whatever needs to be done.....but what if I'm even more miserable than before?! Ugh!

Gonna TRY not to dwell on it now. Hope everyone has a better day tomorrow.

Maxine, it's normal to be bitter and even resentful under those circumstances. It will pass in its own time. In the meantime, don't judge yourself, just acdept it as part of the whole process. Know th ...Read More

Maxine, it's normal to be bitter and even resentful under those circumstances. It will pass in its own time. In the meantime, don't judge yourself, just acdept it as part of the whole process. Know that someday, you may be able to look back on all of it with a different perspective. Hang in there.

Bobbie, glad to hear you're bringing your mom home for a few days. She's probably happy as a peach about that. You truly do spoil her and that is awesome. She's so lucky!

Pam, if gardening truly is good stress relief...then you ought to be the most stressfree person we know right now! Hope that's the case. If so, I may have to try it myself. Happy gardening. It rained here today too, so mudpies it is!

Miz, glad you're having beautiful weather today. That always helps to lift the mood and spirits. It's very cold and dreary here today and is weighing heavy on me at the moment. But I'm entirely too broke to turn the heat back on at this point. Bottle some of that sunshine and send it my way.

Hope everyone else is hanging in there. Grandma seemed to be doing better cognitively yesterday during my visit at the rehab place, even if maybe a little weaker. This morning they called me and said that her blood counts are down and that she'll be going to the hospital for a tranfusion tomorrow. Gotta go along with her this afternoon to get all of her labwork done. Any thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated in the next few days. We just seem to be back into one of those ruts where "it's always something". We went through one of those last fall where we were always at some doc or another for something and then it slowed down. I think I got spoiled in the slow time. Now we're heading back into high gear again, it seems. Eeek! I don't know if I'm ready.......

Sounds like a good idea, Rebeccalynn. I actually have gads and gads of playdoh here. My 6 yr old loves it. I've actually googled and found recipes for homemade playdohs of all sorts, including edible ...Read More

Sounds like a good idea, Rebeccalynn. I actually have gads and gads of playdoh here. My 6 yr old loves it. I've actually googled and found recipes for homemade playdohs of all sorts, including edible peanutbutter playdoh. Since grandma always loved to cook and can't anymore, maybe she'd actually enjoy helping to make the homemade stuff. It requires no cooking, just mixing. Then her and my daughter can play with it together. Thanks for the great idea!

Okay, I was just at the rehab joint about 40 minutes ago and when I left, grandma was sitting in bed eating her supper. I just got a call from them saying that she fell. No one saw her fall but they f ...Read More

Okay, I was just at the rehab joint about 40 minutes ago and when I left, grandma was sitting in bed eating her supper. I just got a call from them saying that she fell. No one saw her fall but they found her on the floor in her room. Said they don't think she got hurt though. What the heck?! She refuses to use her call button to call for assistance like she's supposed to. She says that it doesn't work because she pushes it and can't hear it ringing. Jeez!

lhardebeck, You call it spoiling.....I call it bribery. LOL I do what I gots to do to get the job done. Yeah, I think I'm gonna take a ten dollar bill and fold up like oragami and pin it to her shirt. Whatever makes her feel better.

oooooooooo. I've got an 85 lb tin of pennies that I could have her try to roll. Good idea. We'll give it a try anyways. Thanks.

Being overweight can cause apnea and certainly doesn't help but you may actually have it due to heredity. Only a few decades ago, many people actual had apnea but were never diagnosed. My grandfather ...Read More

Being overweight can cause apnea and certainly doesn't help but you may actually have it due to heredity. Only a few decades ago, many people actual had apnea but were never diagnosed. My grandfather had apnea really bad and had a tracheotomy done back in the 60's or 70's because even if you were one of the lucky ones to actually be diagnosed, that was the only thing they did to fix it back then. No fancy machines and contraptions. My mom, my uncle, me and my brother ALL have sleep apnea as well. Unfortunately, VERY hereditary. You may have or have had relatives that had it and passed it down to you and nobody knew that they had it. My hubby wants to get me one of those "no snore" mouth pieces that they advertise on tv because I have an unfortunate habit of taking my mask off and turning my machine off in my sleep. Then I snore like a chainsaw the rest of the night. He gets so mad at me but tell me how I'm supposed to stop it when I do it in my sleep?! LOL

My 84 yr old grandma gets bored but does NOT entertain herself well. I just need ideas of things to keep her busy for 1/2 hr to an hour at a time so that I can get things done around the house. She ca ...Read More

My 84 yr old grandma gets bored but does NOT entertain herself well. I just need ideas of things to keep her busy for 1/2 hr to an hour at a time so that I can get things done around the house. She can't see well enough or comprehend enough to read anymore, doesn't like tv, won't do easy crosswords, doesn't have the patience for puzzles. I'd like to come up with some easy crafty type ideas that are fairly easy to do that she can work on and then use to give to people as thank you gifts. Any ideas? Please.......

Stuck, We've pretty much all been there and dealt with the same issues. If she has dementia, sometimes it's easiest to think of her in your mind as a 2-3 yr old. You can talk to them and try to reason ...Read More

Stuck, We've pretty much all been there and dealt with the same issues. If she has dementia, sometimes it's easiest to think of her in your mind as a 2-3 yr old. You can talk to them and try to reason but they don't have the ability to grasp what you're saying. She's the same way. As with dealing with kids, someone has to be the adult. The transition that you have to make in your mind is that now YOU'RE the adult and SHE is the child. Putting it into the correct perspective helps immensely in dealing with the headaches and sacrafices that we make. I was lucky with this area. We never took the child safety locks off of our cabinet doors and drawers from when my daughter was younger. Grandma can't work them so I took the lock off of one drawer and cabinet in the bathroom for her to use for her stuff and our stuff stays separate in the locked ones. It's also safer as the dementia gets worse, too. It's face cream for her face now but down the road it might be hemrroid cream on her toothbrush. You just never know what to expect from dementia.
I've also found in my case that I could buy her a cheaper cream and as long as I rave about it and tell her how much better it is than mine, she'll believe me and be tickled pink with it. My grandmother loves the Oil Of Olay face cream that you get at the grocery store, Walmart, Target, etc....because it's been around forever and she's familiar with the namebrand. As for child safety locks on the cabinets and a lock on your bedroom door...if you want any privacy, do it. Grandma complained about it for the first few days. Drove her nuts that she couldn't get to the cookware in the kitchen or the towels and stuff in the bathroom but after a few days, she finally got over it and that was the end of it. Good luck!!