Electric scooters and wheelchairs are a wonderful help for Alzheimer’s patients in the middle stages of the disease. However, there comes a time when they can no longer sit up and the scooter stops being used. William’s scooter has been tucked away in a corner for 8 months as we debated what to do with it. Today, we decided to try to see if we could find someone who could use it who didn’t have insurance to cover a new one of their own.
So, for the last hour or so, I’ve been crying my eyes out reading the emails from needy people in my dinky local area who don’t have insurance and don’t have the funds to buy one for family members with missing limbs and crippling conditions. I wish I had more than one to give.
If you have an electric scooter or wheelchair in good condition that is gathering dust because you think no one will want it, will you consider finding it a new home? You’d be amazed at the response on your local Freecycle. (Freecycle is through Yahoo groups and is broken up into local regions to make it easy to give away and get useful things that would have ended up being unused or thrown away.)
I just found out about the Caregivers Marketplace. Sign up is free and then they give you money back for some of the things you buy to care for Alzheimer’s patients, diabetes patients, etc. The only catch is that they need your original receipt, so you can’t do a Walgreens rebate and get the rebate from Caregivers Marketplace, too.
You have to purchase 5 products before you send in your receipts and their cash back form. The qualifying products aren’t all specialized things like Depends, either. I saw Cottenelle Fresh Wipes and some baby diapers on the list.
I’m thinking that it would be nice to save up the money back for a special treat for the caregiver - a manicure, an espresso, a day at the movies, or what have you.
I was talking to someone who is caring for his wife, who has Alzheimer’s, with very little support the other day. He said, “It’s like being in prison.” He was out for a few short moments because he found a family member willing to watch her while he ran up the street to do errands. It turned out one of the things he needs was 20 minutes away and he couldn’t leave the person giving him a break for the hour it would take to get the item.
Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s is very stressful and we need to remember to take care of ourselves. This man was burned out and exhausted and needed more than a few minutes’ break, but he relies on friends and family for help and they aren’t really available. There must be a solution for people who don’t have the money to pay for qualified help. I’ve mentioned before that finding someone to barter care with is one solution. They watch the person with Alzheimer’s for a few hours and you clean their gutters and run to the store. However, that isn’t really enough of a break. There’s still no down time, no way to really relax.
If you have a great solution, I’d love to hear it.
The Alzheimer’s Association has created a list of useful, safe gifts for people with advanced Alzheimer’s.
identification bracelet, such as the one offered through MedicAlert® + Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return®.
comfortable, easy-to-remove clothing
audiotapes of favorite music or books
videos of favorite movies, animals, sports team or travel destination
subscriptions to magazines that reflect hobbies, such as a gardening or cars
warm blankets or quilts
photo albums
The Alzheimer’s Association has put together a wonderful set of tips for making the holidays easier for the caregiver, visiting family members and the Alzheimer’s patient. One thing I really liked was their suggestion to have the Alzheimer’s patient help prepare food. I can’t remember where I read that someone noticed her family member with Alzheimer’s restless hands and put a bowl of beans in front of her. The family member snapped the bean pieces and everyone enjoyed the simple string bean dish so much more knowing that she has still participated in cooking that special family dinner. Things like this are so easy and simple that we often overlook them in the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
I wrote an article on reasons for forgetfulness today for Suite 101. Did you know that Lyme Disease, thyroid problems and a host of other things could cause forgetfulness? I talk to people all the time who fear that they have early onset Alzheimer’s, only to find that their forgetfulness was caused by something else. I wrote this article hoping that someone who was fearful about going to the doctor over their symptoms would realize that it could be good news, or at least something that already has a cure.
You’ve packed up the house and moved with as little disturbance to your loved one with Alzheimer’s as possible. You’re settling into your new home and all is well. Then, you realize that you will need a new doctor for the Alzheimer’s patient. Now what?
Ideally, you should prepare for the first visit to the new geriatric doctor well before you move. Begin by visiting the current doctor and getting a final checkup. Explain that you are moving and ask for your loved one’s medical records. Be sure that you have enough of all medications for several weeks.
You may want to check to see if the current doctor can recommend a doctor that specializes in geriatric medicine in your new neighborhood. However, chances are he or she will have no idea who to recommend. In this case, you may need to do a little research. A few places to start are
- Geriatric Mental Health Foundation - Members of this foundation are psychiatrists who specialize in geriatric mental issues, such as dementia.
- Administration on Aging - This is a list of state agencies that help with elder care. Most of these agencies have a list of doctors who specialize in geriatric medicine in their states.
Now, make an appointment with the doctor the Alzheimer’s patient will be seeing to be sure you both like his or her bedside manner and treatment methods. This also helps your loved one begin to be familiar with the new doctor and the new office. If the doctor just doesn’t seem to be right, you’ll have time to find another doctor before actual medical attention is needed.
I recently received a copy of Widow Words: 100 Simple Pieces of Advice from Another Widow
by Marcia Curran and thought I’d share my thoughts about the book with you. This little book was written by a widow who wanted to share advice with newly widowed women. These one hundred pieces of advice are deceptively simple and short. You can tell that the book was written by someone who had experienced the grief of losing a husband first hand, which I think is extremely important. I know that my grandmother could have really used this book.
A few of the pieces of advice you can find in “Widow Words” are:
- It’s ok to cry every day for months.
- It’s normal to think, But no one really understands what it’s like.
- Investigate all funny noises in your home.
I like that the entries are fairly short. Some are only a few words, but even the longest piece of advice is only a few paragraphs.
You’ve tried to avoid it, but finally the inevitable has happened. You’ve married, changed jobs, or found a house with a one floor layout. Now, you have to move the person with Alzheimer’s that you are caring for to a new home. How do you move with an Alzheimer’s patient?
Well, as you know, the best thing is to stay put. Failing that, you need to try to avoid changing routines as much as possible. If you aren’t moving far, try moving the rest of the house and getting everything organized before moving the patient’s room. Then, have the patient sit in a familiar chair. Put on a favorite show or familiar tune to mask some of the noise and confusion. Then, have the patient’s room moved and reassembled. Be sure to arrange it look as much like the old room as possible.
If you are traveling a long way, you may not be able to set things up this way. For a long distance move, have the movers pack the Alzheimer’s patient’s room last, so that you can pull it out first when the van arrives at its destination. Don’t pack the room while the patient is sitting in it. Move him or her to a quiet, familiar area. If the whole house is in an uproar, go for a drive while you pack the room or take a walk in the back yard.
Don’t be surprised if your loved one is aggitated and upset during and after the move. Even if everything looks like it is the same, it isn’t and he or she will sense that.
I was reading an article recently on multitasking and realized that it may be something good for most of us, but not for Alzheimer’s patients. It is hard enough to get dressed or eat breakfast without thinking about the next thing on the agenda, or, even worse, trying to get dressed and eat breakfast at the same time. Sometimes, it is difficult to remember that Mom or Dad can’t handle deciding on a trip to the store or the park while she or he is just sitting there eating. It can be really frustrating to realize that even simple multitasking can be too much, but what can you do if a brain simply can’t handle all that mental juggling we take for granted in our own lives?
Multipurpose Rooms
Thinking about multitasking made me think about something else: our tendency to have rooms with many functions. To minimize confusion, each area in the house should have a specific job. For example, the kitchen should be for preparing and eating food, not for creating crafts or wrapping gifts. Imagine wondering into the kitchen and eating that stuff on the plate, only to taste…fun foam and glue.
Of course, if the Alzheimer’s patient has been crafting at the kitchen table for years, you don’t want to change established routines. It is just important to avoid making new and confusing changes. Laundry rooms turning into potting areas, sun rooms becoming the dogs’ bedroom, etc. are all things we take for granted as we expand our interests and repurpose rooms. However, for an Alzheimer’s patient, they can just be another confusing thing in a frustrating world.
