Mischief managed....or not.

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Mischief managed....or not.

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Sometimes we have to use sneaky or deceptive tactics when caring for LO's with dementia, either for their own good or safety or the sake of our own sanity or peace of mind. We recently had to restrict MIL to Depends and commode-with-assistance ONLY because the transfer from wheelchair to toilet has become too much of a fall risk. But of course she'd forget when we weren't around and try to go in there anyway, so we came up with the oh-so-clever idea of taping an "out of order" sign to the bathroom door (AND another one on the wall next to the toilet in case she missed the one on the door) hoping it would discourage her. It seems to be working...but now she's starting to wonder what we're doing with the waste when the commode bucket gets emptied (she only has one bathroom). Oooops.

Ever had one of your "clever ploys" backfire on you?

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P pamstegma May 2014 · Answer 1 · 2014-05-08T17:13:43.000-0400

I like the way you think. Evil but genius. Tell her you take it home and flush it there. LOL

Y yaya51 May 2014 · Answer 2 · 2014-05-08T18:35:00.000-0400

Ooooo, Pam...Evil geeeenius. I like it. MMWWAAHHHAHAHA!!
Great idea about taking it home.....ew, but great idea. It might just work.

A anonymous158299 May 2014 · Answer 3 · 2014-05-08T18:44:09.000-0400

a dementia patient is brilliant in ways. if your going to BS one of them better hide the big kitchen knives. my mother got so paranoid delusional that i stashed ours and she was a very peaceful person. delusions can be dangerous..

A anonymous158299 May 2014 · Answer 4 · 2014-05-08T18:48:52.000-0400

yaya, tell MIL your gardening with it . the koreans use human waste and grow radishes the size of watermelons. falsehoods are such a complicated spiral tho. pretty soon they snowball into giant foul smelling radishes.
brrrr

L lsmiami May 2014 · Answer 5 · 2014-05-08T18:59:11.000-0400

I was afraid of 90+ yo dad having a gun, for reasons I won't get into. I removed it from his house, after some drama, one day I talked him into letting me sell it. I never really wanted to sell it, I really wanted to just turn it in to the Police to be disposed of, cheap piece, I would feel bad if something bad happened with it. A year later dad asked for his gun back, I told him I had sold it, he said I never gave him the money......only way out of that little fib was to say sorry I forgot and put $100 on the table and walk away. I think he knew all along.
Did I manage his mischief, or did he manage mine?

A anonymous158299 May 2014 · Answer 6 · 2014-05-08T19:23:06.000-0400

i cant own guns , pill felony. i could get it expunged but judge haas aint getting any more of my money. if uncle ivan comes over the snow cap im fightin with a brick hammer and chainsaws.. what i lack in effectiveness will be made up in ambiance..

B BoniChak May 2014 · Answer 7 · 2014-05-08T19:34:07.000-0400

Brilliant Yaya and Pam! I'm not exactly devious, but I do hide things (junk) and on the very rare occasions that Mom notices something is missing, I tell her I'm washing it and retrieve it from up or down stairs. I have a 2 special spots that have very neat, organized boxes of junk that will be disposed of when needed.

B BoniChak May 2014 · Answer 8 · 2014-05-08T19:35:26.000-0400

BTW, There are at LEAST 15 big straw hats up there, if anyone needs one. lol

B BoniChak May 2014 · Answer 9 · 2014-05-08T19:36:36.000-0400

27 cheap "collector" dolls ? Yours for the asking!

Y yaya51 May 2014 · Answer 10 · 2014-05-08T19:51:35.000-0400

Note to self: avoid Korean radishes at all cost.
Any chance that practice extends over to Thailand cap'n? Cuz I really like Thai food.....nnn..wait, don't answer that. I think I prefer to remain clueless.

Boni, I've got tea cups and tacky Christmas decorations....maybe we need to arrange a swap meet?

A anonymous158299 May 2014 · Answer 11 · 2014-05-08T20:38:13.000-0400

maybe lilly would stop bitchin about sunscreen if i had a straw hat..
id like to please her short of actually complying with her . its a complicated line that keeps shifting around.

P pamstegma May 2014 · Answer 12 · 2014-05-08T23:29:26.000-0400

My MIL is in ALF and wants me to bring her own personal knife so she can cut up her food. "NO SHARPS" I told her. "Well I'm going to get one anyway" she sneered at me. Holy Mother help us all.

W windoverwater May 2014 · Answer 13 · 2014-05-09T03:02:15.000-0400

My husband and I are up to mischief, we are slowly and secretly removing junk from mil hoards, At least a lot of it is able to be recycled. She has such a rigid daily schedule of what she does and when, that we use it to our advantage to spirit things off the property. She was furious at me 5 years ago when I moved a few of her books out of harms way when her 2 year old great grandaughter was visiting, I think she was well on her way with her dementia back then, I think she wanted to kill me , she was out of her mind with rage at that time for many months, it was very bizzare. We are way past moving a few books now, and the mental anguish of us living in this environment with her these last 8 months is slowly diminishing. If feels good, and sneaky, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

Mischief managed....or not.

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