Physicians have a hard time telling whether this disease is
either Dementia or Alzheimers. Brain scans can sometime
give them a clue, but not always.
We had two people in our family, one with Alzheimers and
one diagnosed with Dementia.
(1) It is very hard to accept when others tell you that you
are not thinking clearly. This should be avoided saying
this if you can. Just tell them you are helping out and
that you care alot about them.
(2) They may start to hide things, since their trust is
no longer in someone they recognize, but now is a
stranger to them.
(3) You need to watch them take their medications.
They lose sense of time and may overdose on it.
They can no longer tell time or keep track of days, etc.
(4) They may do the same things twice.
(5) If they become angry, just talk to them softly. Wait
for a few minutes and then talk to them again. They
will forget your last conversation and be more willing
to cooperate.
(6) When talking to them, remind them about your life
together, you might have to explain over and over
how you are related to them and then give them an
example of some good times you had together.
(7) Don't exclude them completely in anything you do.
For example: if you are teaching someone how to knit,
give them some yarn and let them make something
with it, no matter what it turns out to look like.
(8) They may have crying spells because they become
so frustrated...they may have a problem finding the
bathroom that they have gone to for years.
(9) You may have to clean them up or have someone
give them a bath. They usually will cooperate if you
show them love and attention. I used to make it fun
and put powder on them and make them smell good.
What ever they can do themselves, let them do it.
I help with them getting out of the tub and I would
dry their back and let them dry the front. See what
they can do themselves and then praise them for it.
Sometimes, putting lotion on them helps, too...like
on their legs or feet.
(10) Be careful of them like you would a child, keep
them away, if possible from heating elements on
stoves, etc. They won't understand that you cannot
place metal in a microwave, so also watch for that.
(11) Hang their clothes up in sets of all the things
that match. That way they are more likely to put
on something that looks good, than randomly end
up with purple and bright red.
(12) Place what bed clothes they wear directly on
the bed with a robe and slippers. This way they
will change into them at night and not wear their
clothes to bed. They may forget to take their glasses off
or their teeth out to be cleaned.
(13) Alzheimer patient tend to wonder off. They may
think that their parents live next door and they are
going to visit them, when their parents have been dead
for years. They may say that their picture is a picture
of their mother and not them. Just agree and try not
to argue or tell them they are wrong. In their minds,
they are thinking clearly and you are the one with the
problem.
(14) At first, they may not like any changes to anything.
They no longer want to go anywhere and will stay home
cause the surroundings are familiar to them and they
feel safer, they may panic when you take them somewhere.
(15) Like a child, if you take them to the store, hand them
the correct amount of money to pay the cashier or place
the correct amount in a wallet and hand them that. They
no longer know how to handle it or what money they have
or how much they should be getting back.
(16) Things will end up in places you would not believe.
You will spend alot of time searching for things, so
keep important things somewhere where they cannot
change around and place them somewhere else.
(17) Do little projects with them. Little crafts that
they can handle until they are no longer able to do this.
(18) They do not know when they need a bath or when
to brush their teeth, etc. They may have stains on
clothes and put the same clothes back on the next day.
(19) She may not remember your names, and at first
she may recognize your face. As the disease progresses,
her sons and daughter, she may think is her brother and
sisters. She may be just a little child and you are her
mother. She may not recognize that her home is hers,
it belongs to someone else. She may say she wants
to go home, when she is home. Her home is her mom
and dad's home she remembers from when she was
young.
(20) If they are used to working on things that are
mechanical, remove them. Don't be surprise if they
go out and try to start the vehicle or get under the hood,
or try to disassemble things. Make sure any keys are
kept out of reach to things they are use to using.
(21) If she is still able to sign things and know what she
is signing. Try to get a durable power of attorney to handle
her bills and medical things. The privacy laws are
terrible to get pass. You might have to handle these
things yourself and look into her medication, insurance,
and even paying taxes on the home she is living in.
If you get this now, then you won't have to go to court and
have her declared incompetent to do this for her.
(22) I would go in with them to all doctor appointments
and make up a calendar of her appointments and
get her pills and give them to her myself. It would
be a good idea to make up a from of her medical
history, her family medical history, her medications
and how she takes them and who prescribed them,
the names and address and phone numbers of all
doctors and her insurance cards and information
about the insurance, list all disease she has and
all hospitalizations also. Her emergency contacts.
I would consider having a piece of jewelry made
up that she wears all the time that lists her name,
address, phone number and someone to contact.
This information will be good to give to the doctors,
and if you need to call an ambulance, it will give them
a running start to give this info to the hospital she will
be going to.
(23) Try to take up anything she might be able to
trip over, like rugs or things in her path. Lock doors
before going to bed. Watch her if she has to go
up and down stairs. Keep a light on so she can
see clearly at night. If the lights go out alot where you
live, you can purchase those night light that turn on
a flood light when the lights go out.
(24) Let her talk on the phone, but inform everyone
that she may say things that are not true, just because
she cannot think clearly, she can start to make up things
so she isn't embarrassed. Don't ever let her talk to
strangers on the phone...they will try to sell her things and
she will say OK.
It takes alot of patience to take care of someone with
this disease. I cannot cover everything here. You will
be able to tell so many stories once you take care of
someone through all this.
You should get in touch with the Area of the Aging in
your area. They have alot of things they do to help
someone who has this disease remain in their home.
They provide meals on wheels, diapers, and sometime
people to come in and look after them if you need a break
or if you need to leave for the whole day. At least our
area does this. They have people who also may help
to prepare meals for her there and clean. If you decide
you want to place her in a nursing home, many nursing
homes have special sections just for Alzheimers patients.
I have watched both of these diseases, and to tell the
truth...the dementia doesn't seem to advance as fast
as the Alzheimers does, but the end results seem to
be the same. Think of her as a little child just learning
to walk and you will have more understanding toward
her. You may find yourself constantly repeating things...
but do it gently. She will be watching your face when
dealing with her more than she will be remembering
your words.
Best wishes to you.