Living with someone who has Alzheimers / Dementia?
Discussion
Is there anyone here who is caring for someone with dementia? I'm after any advice on how to cope and any guidance on getting help that's available whilst in the midst of Coronavirus.
Background: My mother has Alzheimers to the point at which she doesn't know that she is in her own home, doesn't know who I or my girlfriend of 19 years are, and is convinced that her parents, who would be 116 and 120 are still alive and she wants to go and see them. We have had to resort to locking all the doors and hiding the keys to stop her wandering off.
Mum is fully mobile, so I can take her for a walk of couple of miles each day. When my father was alive, the two of them would sleep in the afternoon for a couple of hours. Now she is usually up around 8am and doesn't go to sleep until about 10pm, sometimes later.
The main problem is that nothing entertains her for long, except following me around and asking the same questions over and over again. Before lockdown I had tried taking her to day care at a care home, but now the shortest they will have anyone for is two weeks live in. I can't see a live in carer being much help, as Mum would get upset if the care was trying to keep Mum away from me to let me get on with things. Mum will wash things up. Not very well and could empty the Hoover Dam with the amount of water she uses, but at least it keeps her busy for a few minutes.
Alzheimers UK seem to have shut up shop apart from one national phoneline that has no local information.
What are your own experiences? Do you have any good suggestions on keeping an advanced Alzheimer's sufferer occupied?
Background: My mother has Alzheimers to the point at which she doesn't know that she is in her own home, doesn't know who I or my girlfriend of 19 years are, and is convinced that her parents, who would be 116 and 120 are still alive and she wants to go and see them. We have had to resort to locking all the doors and hiding the keys to stop her wandering off.
Mum is fully mobile, so I can take her for a walk of couple of miles each day. When my father was alive, the two of them would sleep in the afternoon for a couple of hours. Now she is usually up around 8am and doesn't go to sleep until about 10pm, sometimes later.
The main problem is that nothing entertains her for long, except following me around and asking the same questions over and over again. Before lockdown I had tried taking her to day care at a care home, but now the shortest they will have anyone for is two weeks live in. I can't see a live in carer being much help, as Mum would get upset if the care was trying to keep Mum away from me to let me get on with things. Mum will wash things up. Not very well and could empty the Hoover Dam with the amount of water she uses, but at least it keeps her busy for a few minutes.
Alzheimers UK seem to have shut up shop apart from one national phoneline that has no local information.
What are your own experiences? Do you have any good suggestions on keeping an advanced Alzheimer's sufferer occupied?
I don't know, but my mother in law managed to pass a dementia test the other year, and we have no idea how. Some days she's almost normal and other days she's confused. Her memory is particularly bad. Her husband is pretty ill, and has just had a hospital.bed delivered by social services.
Both of them are stubborn and do things they've promised not to.
Phoning the doctor without discussing it with my wife (Who is an ex nurse and will discuss it with our daughter who is a hospital.pharmacist), and then getting tablets and treatment that are inappropriate.
My wife and her sister and currently there virtually full time at the moment. I am under no illusion that when.he dies, (which could be tonight, or could be in a year ) my mother in law will be moving in with us.
How life changes then I don't know. But it's all going to be lots of fun*
Both of them are stubborn and do things they've promised not to.
Phoning the doctor without discussing it with my wife (Who is an ex nurse and will discuss it with our daughter who is a hospital.pharmacist), and then getting tablets and treatment that are inappropriate.
My wife and her sister and currently there virtually full time at the moment. I am under no illusion that when.he dies, (which could be tonight, or could be in a year ) my mother in law will be moving in with us.
How life changes then I don't know. But it's all going to be lots of fun*
- not
Might be worth looking at this website:
https://www.dementiauk.org/get-support/admiral-nur...
You may also find there are local support groups near you. Maybe ask your mum's GP surgery?
https://www.dementiauk.org/get-support/admiral-nur...
You may also find there are local support groups near you. Maybe ask your mum's GP surgery?
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