Good morning all. Mom is getting a bath from Kay her aid. And I wanted to show you her new booties. While we were in the hospital the wound care people came to visit and gave mom some booties to protect her feet. Well I am sure we payed for them but anyway they are cute. I looked them up at All Day Medical and they are around $45 so very costly but nice.
If you need some I have a link at the bottom of my post for All Day Medical they do have lots of goodies. I just wish everything was free. Not sure if the Alzheimer's Store have them but you can check them out at http://www.alzstore.com/
Anyway mom is doing great after her eye surgery . She is eating and talking a lot. I am having trouble getting enough fluids down her. Choking is a big problem . We have to thicken her drinks so much that it looks like honey . But she takes it good with a spoon. She is better now than a week ago. I just wish she would never get choked again. It is a very scary.
I have decided to post a tip or two from my book I got at the memory walk on caring for Alzheimer's patients. That way people might get a little useful info from this blog .
Tip for today is on pacing. Mom never really paced. She did do a lot of hitting and pushing and trying to walk out the door when it was bed time . But if we left her alone she would just sit in her chair and watch TV all day and night. I have to warn you if you let your loved one stay in there chair all night make them get up and go to the potty sometime during the night. I let mom stay in her chair all night and the next morning it was a mess. She even had a pair of adults pullups on . Needless to say we had to toss that chair out and buy a new one. I was so happy she was happy and sleeping that I never thought to make her get up. That was in the early stages of her using the bathroom in her pants so I was not big on making her go to the potty . I have learned a lot since than. Now of course it is all in a diaper . No more potty runs. I do miss potty runs . Never thought I would but I do.
Ok!! Here are a few tips on Pacing for those who might need them. Good luck.
One of the reasons for pacing is she or he might be scared and unsure of where they are so walk with them ,hold there hand,tell them they are safe and loved , offer them a snack they can carry in there hand as they walk, keep the walkway clear so they are safe from falling and Try to distract them from there pacing, Ask them to look at a magazine or work a puzzle with you.
Mom was not a puzzle kind of person but the walking with her and food thing would of worked. Have a great weekend.
Glad to hear you mom's eye surgery went well.
ReplyDeleteThose booties seem like they will keep her feet warm too! :-)
It's so good to hear that your mom's surgery went well, and that she's eating and talking a lot. I'm sure it must really be frightening for you when she chokes....drinking with a spoon sounds like a good things for her.
ReplyDeleteDavid doesn't pace, but those are very good tips.... I'll file them away in my head, in case he starts pacing.
Have a good weekend!
Good to hear about the pacing principle and how you use it, Karen.
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, sounds like your mom is doing well, that's great to hear :)
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone. Tomorrow is the last day mom has to wear a patch on her eye. OH Boy!!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Karen I still can not believe that yoru hospice isn't giving you these things, the thick it too..... Those are very good for PREASURE SPOTS. Also some of the pacing is called SUNDOWNING,, they think there is SOMETHING they need to do that they have always done.. go home after work.. pick up children from school.. waitign for mother,,husband,,wife,,kids to come home. Something else that might help is keep drapes closed so they do not sence the TIME. Glad your mom is doing so well,, a little thing about the choking,, NEVER pat her back when she is choking,, it most likley will cause the liquid for what ever to go into her lungs.. NOT A GOOD THING. If she can not STAND (better thing) sit her up straight as you can and rub her back to help it go down. ok enough I am OFF WORK TODAY :)
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