Who is Getting Old? Her or Me?

Part of the strangeness of taking care of Mom is I have to remind myself that she is the old one. But, I am adjusting to her oldness AND my getting oldness. LOL Take my word for it. It is a very strange feeling.

This last weekend I spoke to Mom's Dr. I just happened to catch him at the nursing home. We spoke in the hall in front of the nurses desk just inside the front door. One of the NA's rolled a laundry cart past us and I about came unglued. I had just gotten hearing aids the day before and EVERYTHING is too loud for me. I had to laugh at the comedy of it. Getting hearing aids is an "old persons" thing. And there I was talking to a Dr. about my mother getting old. Well, maybe you had to be there.

Mom keeps me off balance too. One day she behaves and understands like a very young child and then bamm she is an adult again. It happens so fast. She is like a cognative quick change artist. Most of the time I try to treat her the very way I would want to be treated but then there are times when that just doesn't work. Dementia is not a fair player. It always throws you a curve.

So Far So Good

The resperidal seems to be doing its job. I called this morning and Mom took her meds. No uncontroled behavior for the last couple of days and she is still scarfing down the peanut butter cups. I am encouraged. She spent a nice day with me on Saturday. Again we got interested in an old movie. She ate her PB cups and I fixed her a shake using ensure and ice cream.

I talked to her Dr. Saturday morning. He was very compassionete about my turmoil over her behavior and her loss of appetite. When we have her home next I am going to order pizza. She LOVES pizza.

Change of meds

Yesterday started out better. Mom ate her breakfast and took her meds for me. She seemed angry though. The nurses reported that she was hallucinating. The psychiatrist saw her and suggested resperidol. Her dr. Agreed. Hopefully she will calm down.

When I was with her yesterday, she was being mean and laughing. I told her I didn't like it when she was like that. She calmed down a little. It made me wonder how much control does she have?

Today I will bring her home for a few hours. Maybe that will help. But I am concerned about her acting wild while she is home.


- Linda Shumaker uses BlogPress from my iPhone

I can't sleep

It's almost 3:00 am. I woke up thinking about Mom and I can't get back to sleep. I am so frustrated. I feel so alone, powerless, angry. A simple thing such as not eating is taking her away and I can't stop it. The longer she goes without her airoceft the more delusional she gets and the more wild her behavior becomes. Oh God!! Please there has to be a way.


- Linda Shumaker uses BlogPress from my iPhone

She Did Not Take Her Meds Again Today

They destroied the meds and did not call me. Well, I'm not backing down. The time the meds are given HAS to be changed. AND they need to try giving it to her in a quiet place (like her room). But she NEEDS that med.

No News is NOT Good News!!

Mom continues to refuse to take her meds. I'm not sure what to do right now. The nursing staff is not listening to me. I have asked them to call me when she refuses to take her meds for them and to save the meds so I can try to give them to her. BUT they are not doing that. Mom and I spent Sunday evening in the ER because they were destroying her meds after she refused them. Today I called to check and sure enough she refused to take her meds and they destroyed it. I am really frustrated.

I really want to take care of her myself but I have to work. That is the ONLY reason she is in the nursing home. She does OK in a quiet environment. I wish there was a way I could stay at home with her.

A Quiet Day at Home

It seems to be what she enjoys. I go about my day as usual (except for leaving the house). I clean, do laundry, talk on the phone. She sometimes will ask me what I am doing but mostly sits and watches. If she is content I don't mind. I wish she was here more. By that I mean I wish she would talk to me. But, I am coming to terms with that. My main purpose for these days with her at home is that she is comfortable and I can find SOMETHING that she enjoys. Today we watched a cooking show (I NEVER watch cooking shows) and she perked up when they talked about rootbeer floats. She used to love rootbeer floats. I told her that the next time she is here we would have one together. Her face glowed. Gotta plan on having a rootbeer float real soon.

My sister mailed us some of Mom's things. I showed them to her one by one. The things she remembered she wanted to hold in her lap. The things she didn't remember she just gave back to me. She doesn't have a lot of places at the nursing home for personal items. So I am leaving the things she remembers out near "her" chair in my livingroom. She has held a little straw hat all afternoon. She looks at it now and then and then lovingly lays it in her lap. Just another reason for me to be "killing" mad at my brother for not sending her photos. It will take me a VERY LONG time to be able to forgive him for that. Blast him!

Mom Has A UTI

They have started her on an antibiotic. I will have to check with the morning staff to be sure she takes her meds. They also need to encourage her to drink more. That is easier said then done. She didn't drink much yesterday when she was with me. I won't be taking her out until she feels better. I will visit her at The Waters on Sunday