Late-Afternoon Behavior & Blog Action Day!!!

I am so glad it is Friday. And it is Blog Action Day and I forgot till a nice reader of my blog reminded me . This years topic is Clean Water. A billion people around the world are without clean drinking water. I could not go without water for 5 mins. Water is what helped me lose 40lbs. I drink a glass of water when I am hungry and I drink at least 4 glasses or more a day . I would never be able to know how hard it is to live without clean water. Stop by this wonderful link and learn about this years topic.SandwichINK.com
My sleeping and moms have been messed up ever since we got back from the hospital. She has her days and nights confused and I just can't seem to get out of bed to turn and change her. I am sleeping through the alarm clock . I have it set for every 3 hrs. You are suppose to turn your bedridden loved one every 2 hours but with her air mattress I cheat and do it every 3 but lately I have not heard the alarm go off. Maybe the first time than I miss the next two. It is weird. And mom just lays in the bed wide eyed. She is not talking or yelling for me like she used to so I guess she is not in pain or having her sundowners like used to . But I got to get things back in order.
Anyway my tips for this post is on Late Night Behavior since ours is off. If your loved one is Fidgeting and acting nervous, becoming easily upset, and wanting to go "home" when they are already home are types of late-afternoon behavior . To her or him "home" means feeling safe. Mom used to do this all day . Want to go home. And when we went on vacation one year she tried to leave and walk home. We had to keep a close eye on her or she would of been gone. This was early in her disease. Before we know how bad it was. She thought home was across the street but it was really 6oo miles away.
1. Give them a hug.
2. Tell them where they are.
3. Tell them they are safe.
4. Tell them you are not leaving.
5. Change the topic.
6. Turn on more lights.
7. Close the blinds or curtains. "I don't know why you would do this". I guess so they won't want to go outside. But I hate the blinds closed .
8. Ask if they are hungry or if they will help you in the kitchen. "Mom would help my with dishes and folding laundry " This one might work.
9. Offer an easy activity like sorting spoons or forks or ask them to wipe off the table with you. I have done this . It does work too. Mom would wipe the table for me when ask.
10. Use a happy voice and make everything seem like a lot of fun. " I was very bad at this one" I was bossy and always in a bad mood. Seemed like when I said Earlene instead of Mom she would respond better. I regret this all the time. I wish I was more like a daughter than a caregiver back then. And now she does not respond to hugs and kisses much but back then she would of. So give them lots of hugs and kisses and nice words while they still want them.

Booties

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 Be Home

We just got back home Friday evening after a long stay at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Hospital in Little Rock Arkansas.
I think I told you before moms eye was giving her trouble well it just kept getting worse so had to have a eye doc. come check her out. I have to give Dr Jefferies a shout out . He did a house call. Thanks to him. Anyway he said her eyeball had ruptured so it needed to have surgery very soon. Well the next day we were off to Little Rock. Than the surgeon would not do surgery till the infection was gone. That took a week and than surgery and two days recovery and now we are at home. All is well. If it heals good and no infection sets in she will be feeling good soon I think. You can tell she is much better. I bet that nasty eye as been hurting her for a very long time. She just could not tell us. She has not opened in along time due to another surgery she had years ago. So hard to tell when it had ruptured. I just hope it is all better now.

Memory Walk 2010

Our Memory Walk was a great success. And so much fun. There were games for the kids , free food ,gifts bags,door prizes,free samples , music and lots of money raised. Thanks everyone for your help and support.
I got a few copies of a book with wonderful tips in it for caregiving from one of the many tables sit up . If any of you would like one let me know . It is Coach Broyels Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers. Coach Broyles played for the Arkansas Razorbacks when he was in college and he was there Athletic Director for many years. His wife suffered from Alzheimer's also.
Here is the poem from his book.

Do not ask me to remember.
Don't try to make me understand.
Let me rest and know you're with me.
Kiss my cheek and hold my hand.

I'm confused beyond your concept.
I am sad and sick and lost.
All I know is that I need you.
To be with me at all cost.

Do not lose your patience with me.
Do not scold or curse or cry.
I can't help the way I'm acting.
Can't be different 'though I try.

Just remember that I need you.
That the best of me is gone.
Please don't fail to stand beside me.
Love me 'til my life is done.

Author unknown

Happy Birthday Mom number 83

Mom is 83 today. My sister fed her lemon cake which is her favorite last night after supper. She ate most of it. Last year I don't think she ate as much. I can't believe I have had my blog for over a year. But I wrote a post on mom's birthday last year. Boy time passes fast.
She is doing good. Except her eye is still swollen. The hospice Doctor is coming to see her this week . They wanted me to take her to an eye doc. But I said that would be hard on her and me . Since I sold our wheelchair van it would be really hard. So the hospice doctor is doing a home visit. Hopefully we won't have to take her to the eye doctor.

It is so nice out. We got some much needed rain today. Our yard was all dry. The good thing about that is we don't have to mow the bad thing is it looks really bad.

My son started his Jr year at the University Of Arkansas and I am so proud. He got two grants and Two scholarship's this year. Which means no money out of his pocket for the first time since he started college. We are very happy about that. He even has money left over.
I want to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Labor Day Weekend.