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The Last Day Mom Remembered Everyone

01/07Leave a Comment

The Last Day Mom Remembered everyone

Mom-and-meMom had been deep into late-stage Alzheimer’s for a couple years before necessity forced us to move her to a Group-Home. She was only a few blocks away so I visited almost daily. Mom ate fairly well and enjoyed family visits though she no longer recognized any of us by name but rather knew us as good friends.

Living in nice surroundings and of good physical health, we assumed Mom might be with us for a long while yet.

We were startled to learn that her days were numbered after a recurrent cough and bout with the flu required a hospital visit. During that week, Mom was diagnosed with both lung and thyroid cancer and our world with Alzheimer’s totally changed

Mom had never smoked a day in her life and took excellent care of her health. Other than the slow erosion of her memory, she had always been healthy. The “slow” part was gone now and suddenly we were told that Mom could be gone within weeks. It was devastating news for her entire family.

The transition was abrupt. Mom’s quiet room was suddenly filled with coughing and arguing as Mom wrestles the oxygen tube like a coiling snake. As fast as we settle the cannula in her nose, she removes it again, then gasps for air. She can’t remember she needs oxygen nor that the tube is the delivery system.

Sedation is required and Mom does not take it well. She doesn’t understand all the chaos around her; a noisy oxygen concentrator churning with a continuous thump thump thud, plastic tubes poking her nose and squeezing her cheeks, more hovering nurses than she’s ever seen before (a new team from hospice) changing her clothes, washing her face, rubbing her hands, moving furniture to make room for more medical equipment.

I wanted to scream or cry or do something to make it all stop! Leave Mom alone! But I didn’t and it continued through the first week.

During the second week, my niece requested to bring her two young sons, 3 and 5 years old (Mom’s great grandchildren) to visit. Mom hadn’t recognized my niece when she visited in the hospital, nor had Mom seen the boys for many many months. I could hardly say ‘no,’ but issued a warning to have the children prepared that Mom would not know them due to her illness. I was afraid the boys would be heartbroken.

Mom no longer recognized family members and believed us all to be nice people who visited her. So I was astounded when my Niece called me the following day.

“It was so wonderful,” she said. “Grandma played with the boys and reminded them of things they’d done together.”

“She remembered them?” I asked, astounded by that news.

“Yes, “ my niece went on, “She knew all of us. Talked about her apartment and going home and when was the new baby due and was it a girl. She called me by name and dad by name and knew all of us. Just like a regular conversation.”

I really thought she was teasing me until I spoke with my brother the next day and learned it was all true. Mom had an entire afternoon of being herself. She knew everyone, relatives, nurses’ names, her friend’s name, (which she never used.) It was quite stunning.

My first thought was that Mom had made a miraculous recovery from everything; Alzheimer’s, lung caner and thyroid cancer, but it was not to be. Mom passed away late into the evening two days later.

I’d heard of such “awakenings” by folks with Alzheimer’s or dementia, but never quite believed until– it happened to our family.

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Filed Under: communication, LATE STAGE Tagged With: The last Awakening, The last day Mom remembered

Dementia Personality Changes Require Caring and Adjusting

12/205 Comments

Dementia Personality Changes

Require Caring and Adjustment by the Caregiver

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s who has dementia personality changes can be physically, financially, and emotionally challenging. Adjusting to the gradual changes as Alzheimer’s progresses will require you, as the family caregiver, and your family to make several modifications in the way you look after your loved one. While it’s true that providing this care will mean that every day brings with it a new challenge, there are also reasons to be optimistic.

Because more than 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s, our understanding of the disease and how to care for it is constantly improving. Prepared with a few tips for caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, even the most severe symptoms of the disease can be made manageable, allowing you to ensure that your loved one may continue to live a comfortable and rich life for as long as possible.

babydoll-dementia

Adjusting to Changes in Communication

Communication can be difficult for people with Alzheimer’s disease because they may have difficulty finding the right words, trouble understanding what words mean, and may lose their train of thought while speaking. This can be equally frustrating for family caregivers and those they are caring for, which can make it necessary to adopt a few simple changes in the way you try to communicate with your loved one.

Anytime you need to ask for something, try and offer easy step-by-step instructions, and be ready to repeat them.

If your loved one doesn’t understand something you’re saying, rather than repeating yourself verbatim, try to rephrase what it is you want. It’s also a good idea to simplify your questions. For example, rather than asking, “How are you doing?”, you can ask “Are you hungry?” Enabling a simple “yes” or “no” response often makes communication far easier for both parties.

Adjusting to Behavioral Changes

As Alzheimer’s makes the brain less functional over time, your loved one will inevitably have both good days and bad days as gradual changes in behavior occur. Some of the most common changes include becoming upset or angry more easily, misunderstanding things that are seen or heard, pacing around their environment, wandering from home, or losing interest in favorite activities.

Your loved one may also feel anxiety about going to specific places, confusion following changes in routine, or a feeling of being overwhelmed by every day activities. Left unattended, these changes can lead to losing sleep, alcohol abuse, too much caffeine consumption, and a variety of illnesses.

Adjusting to these changes starts with establishing a daily routine that works for your loved one. For example, if losing sleep becomes a problem, you can plan energetic activities early in the day, reduce caffeine consumption, and encourage a bedtime routine. It’s also a good idea to limit any naps that occur through the day, which can contribute to sleeplessness.

If your loved one decides to start pacing, provide them with comfortable shoes, a safe space to walk, and be sure that they remain hydrated. Should wandering become a problem, be sure that they always carry some kind of identification or medical bracelet, allowing others to know about their illness should they get lost.

It can also be a good idea to contact your neighbors or local police to let them know about your loved one’s condition and inclination to wander. Additionally, many people find it useful to install a door chime that rings each time the door is opened.

Care for Family Caregivers

Above all else, you must learn to respect yourself as a family caregiver. After all, you can’t help your loved one when your own well-being is in jeopardy. That means it’s important to know your limits, both physically and emotionally, and be sure to give yourself sufficient rest. Anytime you find yourself becoming frustrated, give yourself a short time-out. You should also try to spread out the responsibilities of care to as many family members as you can, ensuring that the challenges of care don’t become exhausting.

Although caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease is never easy, if you follow these simple Alzheimer’s care tips, you can greatly increase the quality of life for yourself and those you care about most.

Guest Post from Griswold Home Care: Since caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be very difficult, Griswold Home Care collected inspirational stories from caregivers of all kinds. Check out these or add your own story to help others at: moments of inspiration  

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Filed Under: Care Tips, Caring for the Caregiver, communication Tagged With: adjusting, Alzheimer's, Behavior Changes, personality changes

Do Those with dementia always have Aphasia?

10/032 Comments

Aphasia- Word-ConfusionDo those with dementia have Aphasia?

Do those with dementia have Aphasia since it’s so difficult for them to stay tuned to a conversation? Aphasia is an inability to understand or use words for communication. This includes spoken and written words and can be a devastating illness since it also affects writing and reading.

Since someone with dementia also has problems with words and conversation, you might think everyone with dementia has Aphasia. But that isn’t always true.

You don’t have Aphasia simply because you have dementia.

Aphasia is caused by damage or injury to the brain which can occur as the dementia worsens. But most often, Aphasia is caused by a stroke, or brain injuries from other illnesses such as epilepsy, brain tumor or traumatic brain injury.

Aphasia isn’t always caused by dementia. And, you may have dementia but NOT have Aphasia.

According to the Aphasia Association, of those who survived a stroke 25 to 40% will get Aphasia. But most of those who suffer Aphasia from having a stroke can improve greatly from speech therapy.

Medical New Today says; “Having dementia doesn’t mean you will also have Aphasia, but it could be a symptom of dementia if the “language center” of the brain is affected during cognitive decline of dementia.”

Aphasia affects a persons speech because they have difficulty finding the right words or using the right words when speaking and don’t understand the words they hear from others. Since they can’t communicate, they become very confused. Since they are confused by written words as well, their reading and writing abilities are impaired and it becomes more difficult for the person with Aphasia to communicate with others.

This lack of speaking or knowing words is not a direct affect of Cognitive Decline (such as with dementia), nor intellectual ability. So not everyone who has dementia will have Aphasia.

The damage done to the brain by dementia may result in Aphasia, but those cases are fewer in number than those of stroke or other brain damage. And it is not a certainty that someone with dementia will have Aphasia.

Listed below are 7 Tips for communicating with someone who has Aphasia from the Medical News Today . I think most of these tips would also be helpful to keep in mind while speaking with a loved one with dementia as well.

How do you communicate with someone that has Aphasia? The following are some tips on how to communicate with someone that has aphasia and may be helpful for those with dementia as well:

  1. Try to keep sentences short and simple and avoid questions that require a complicated answer.
  2.  Do not change the subject of conversation too quickly.
  3.  Minimize distracting background noises.
  4.  When the person with aphasia is replying, try not to pressure them for a response and give them plenty of time to answer.
  5.  Try not to correct their language as they may find this frustrating.
  6.  Remember that their disorder is affecting the way they communicate, their tone may not necessarily reflect their mood.
  7.  Try to keep a notepad/some paper and a pen to hand, this may help you or them to communicate.

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Speech Therapy Aphasia RehabilitationMore infoLanguage Intervention StrategiesMore infoSuccessful Communication with Persons with Alzheimer’sMore info

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I remember the story of a friend. Her father with dementia would never speak. He appeared interested in what they had to say but he would not speak nor join a lively conversation. They believed he had aphasia and either didn’t understand, or couldn’t find the words.

Then one day, an ad for  ‘Oldies from the 50’s” (pop music) blasted from the television.’ “Dad,” chimed in with every artist and sang a sweet duet. He knew all the words to every song from his youth and sang them without a stutter–word for word.

Never give up. Continue to think “out of the box” — What does your loved one like; to talk about, to listen to, to dance to. There is always something that will catch their attention and allow them a fun day or hour.

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Filed Under: communication, What are the Signs and Symptoms Tagged With: Aphasia, Word Confusion

The ID Wrist Band Your Loved one with Dementia Needs Today

08/209 Comments

The ID Wrist Band Your loved one with Dementia may Need Today

elderly wanderWandering is a major problem for those with dementia. We hear about it everyday. The older lady or gentleman who leaves their home for a stroll but never returns.

Sometimes they’re found a few streets away. Sometimes they are never found. And sometimes, unfortunately, they are found where they’ve wandered too far in the freezing cold or dark of night and lost their life.

When a loved one with dementia walks away from their home they only intend to go for a short walk. But for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia of any kind, the territory can become unfamiliar and confusing as soon as they leave their own front yard.0NLBand01a-1

There are many tools to help with “wandering;”  including Cell Phones and Tennis Shoes with GPS, necklaces and bracelets with ID’s built into USB cards.  The biggest problem is that all of these devices can be removed from the person who needs them most.  

Some of the newer devices may give us a false sense of security. But if it can be removed easily by the elderly person, there is nothing to stop them from doing so. A person with dementia can forget why he/she would need an identification tool.

A few things the ID for your loved one may need

  1. Is it comfortable, so they have no need to remove it.
  2. Does the bracelet or necklace contain enough information so that anyone can contact you.
  3. Newer wrist bands will hold a small memory card. This can be a necessity if your loved one needs instructions for special medical care.

Below are a few of the handy Medical ID Bracelets and Necklaces available today


Filed Under: Care Tips, communication, Healthy Aging, Medical Tagged With: ID bands, id bracelet, Permanent ID, soft ID

Geriatric Depression – Take a Test and Learn How to Cope

08/04Leave a Comment

Geriatric Depression is common among those who have Alzheimer’s dementia

In fact, Geriatric Depression has become more common for everyone as they age. Studies show that depression has become a common illness later in life.

grieving-aloneThe Geriatric Mental Health Foundation (GMHF) said that 15 out of 100 elderly people (65 years and up) show depressive symptoms. Meantime, according to Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, five million out of 31 million Americans aged 65 and older experience depression.

Many believe that depression is a natural part of agin, but that is not true. Geratric depression is not considered a natural part of aging. When it is left untreated, multiple psychiatric and physical disorders will likely ensue. The good news is, like other common diseases, depression can be detected, prevented, and treated.

If healthcare workers, families, and caregivers recognize the early signs of depression among the elderly, proper treatment and care can be provided.

Because of the alarming depression rate among elderly people, it only seems logical to design measurement to predict or detect them accurately.

Stanford University has provided 15 questions that can help assess older adults’ risks of having depressive behaviors. This free online tool is available in several languages and in the public domain.

How you have felt over the past week? Choose the best answers from below.

  1.  Are you basically satisfied with your life? YES / NO
  2.  Have you dropped many of your activities and interests? YES / NO
  3.  Do you feel that your life is empty? YES / NO
  4.  Do you often get bored? YES / NO
  5.  Are you in good spirits most of the time? YES / NO
  6.  Are you afraid that something bad is going to happen to you? YES / NO
  7.  Do you feel happy most of the time? YES / NO
  8.  Do you often feel helpless? YES / NO
  9.  Do you prefer to stay at home, rather than going out and doing new things? YES / NO
  10.  Do you feel you have more problems with memory than most? YES / NO
  11.  Do you think it is wonderful to be alive now? YES / NO
  12.  Do you feel pretty worthless the way you are now? YES / NO
  13.  Do you feel full of energy? YES / NO
  14.  Do you feel that your situation is hopeless? YES / NO
  15.  Do you think that most people are better off than you are? YES / NO

Answers in Bold indicate Depression

  •  A score > 5 points in BOLD is suggestive of depression
  •  A score > 10 points in BOLD  is almost always indicative of depression

This Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is a validated screening tool specifically designed to measure the risks of depression among elderly people. The GDS comes in 2 common types: a 30-item and the 15-item self-rating scale. For patients suffering from cognitive impairment may consider other more sophisticated measurement tool. Don’t hesitate to consult the nearest healthcare centers in your area to ask about these examinations.

Once diagnosed, it is important to keep a regular follow-up and seek active medication management in order to get the maximum benefits of treatment. Let’s not rule out depressive behaviors as normal emotions rather we should resort to medical diagnostics the moment we see tell-tale signs of geriatric depression.

Author: Jesse Waugh is a veteran writer with over 8 years of writing and proofreading experience. Jesse has a solid understanding of content marketing and can deliver high-quality, targeted contents for any topics or niche of interest that includes health, health aged care, respite care and more.

Stay as Active as you can and get as much exercise as possible.

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Filed Under: Care Tips, communication, Medical Tagged With: aging, depression, geriatric depression, sadness

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