Family member with Dementia

[sdlee]

I am so sorry to hear this....

To all of you have dealt with this, how heart breaking. And scarrier too is that we ourselves could end up in the same place.

I know there is something to be said for those who kept busy. My sister is a CNA and she says the patients she deals with that kept themselves busy are the ones running the halls with thier walkers and the ones who retired at midlife and found thier esay chairs and televisions are the ones who are strapped in wheel chairs.

One other bit of advicxe she offers is that if you do have to put your loved one in a nursing home (or any kind of facility) be there every single day.

not only does this help the loved one but it helps the staff and it makes them more aware of what that patient needs, They get to know the family and they get to know what that person has done with thier life. The staff will treat that person better simply because they dont know when a family member is lurking around a corner.

Now that seems callous but it is true. The patients that get "put away" so to speak are often the ones most neglected becuase of over worked under paid under trained staff has to get thier work done and to do it they have to cut corners somewhere. These people, tho angels sent by God, cant be everywhere at all times.If you are there every day and help rather than hinder youre loved one is gonna get better care.

My mom was taken away from us early (at 54) thanks to cancer and my dad now approaching his mid 70s is thankfully still going strong. He was a LT commander in the Navy and thus a strong and powerful pressence. Its been hard enough just watching his body shrink from old age( this is man who not so long ago towered over me and is now shorther than I )I cant even picture how it will be if his mind starts to slip.

Again kudos to anyone who can make living out of this field and anyone else who can change or feed an ageing adult. Saints as far as Im concerned. Specail sympthay to anyone watching this deteriation as it goes.Youd think by now (2008) wed have figured something out.

 

[partscounterman]

My Mother

My Mother has Progessive Global Effasia (Sp?) which at first just affected her ability to communicate. She is now pretty much a vegetable. I feel bad because I don't go to see her as often as should and I would really be happier for her if she were to die. I envy my friends that have had their parent die because at least there is an end for them. This is like a long slow death

 

[seeitrun2006]

Mom got her MRI

My Dad and I took Mommy to get her MRI yesterday. I was afraid she would not go. I went by Tuesday night, had supper with them and to see how she was doing. The one thing that gets my Mom to go is to make a big joke out of it. We joked about the MRI and the procedure Tuesday. It just amazing how the adult mind can turn someone back into a child. I remind them before we leave "we are not going to mis-behave and argue while we are there at the hospital! Got it?". I sound just my Mom when I say things like that. We got there and Mom and Dad got along great!

The one thing I have noticed here lately is when Mom is alone with me she tells me about a crush she has on another man. It a guy who works at the local funeral home. When she start telling me I have to literally turn away and laugh.

Thanks for all the advice and relating all the expericences you have all gone thru with your loved ones!

I should know the test results of the MRI next week.

Everyone have a great 4th!

 

[nmaineman36]

OMG let me tell you about my mother in law...With this disease we saw first hand the quirks of it...and one thing is that they become "hypersexual". Never in my life I would have thought that would happen. One day we went to see her with my mom and we sat at the table talking to her and she said out of the blue" Well my tests came back negative...I am not pregnant with twins." My mom looked at her and didnt know what to think...she said to me "What the hell is going on in this place!?!?" Or when she would tell us she had a date with a black man. She had a black male nurse and he had to take care of her and she thought it was a date. i said to her"Ma I didnt know you had jungle fever"....she laughed and said "you know what they say..once you had black you never go back" I almost died.
One thing that was funny was this woman her name was Aurora and every time she saw me she would speak french to me and tell me come back to my room and I will show you a good time. I blush very easily and it showed. So what I am saying is there are some funny things that come out of it sometimes.