“How do I know when it’s time to look for a nursing home for my mom?”

“How will I know when it’s time to find a nursing home for my mom?”

At the mid-stage of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias a caregiver often has to manage the challenges of:

·         Difficult behaviors such as agitation and restlessness, or the extreme reaction to an event or situation which the person with dementia doesn’t understand

·         Wandering, and the challenges of keeping someone safe in the home, particularly during the nighttime hours

Care can be a 24 hour a day / 7 day a week task as the person with mid-stage dementia often has day and nighttime routines mixed up. This can create difficulty managing the person safely in the home during the hours a caregiver is sleeping, or may be in another part of the home.

The late stage of Alzheimer’s disease usually requires intensive, around-the-clock assistance. A person in late-stage Alzheimer’s usually:

·         Has difficulty eating and swallowing

·         Needs assistance walking and eventually becomes bedridden or chair-bound

·         Needs full-time help with personal care, including toileting

·         Is vulnerable to infections and pneumonia

·         Loses the ability to communicate with words

At this stage, care requires a fair amount of physical capacity and endurance, as well as additional caregiver support which may strain or exhaust financial resources.

If you are not sure if it’s time to select a nursing home, ask yourself a few questions:

Safety:
Is the person with dementia safe?
Has he/she left the house alone and/or gotten lost?

Health:
Is the health of the person with dementia at risk?
Is my health as a caregiver at risk?
Is he/she incontinent of bowel and/or bladder?

Care needs:
Does the person with dementia need more care than I am able to give right now?
Is it becoming too difficult for me to care for the person with dementia?
Have I exhausted financial resources needed for paid caregiver support in the home?

For more information call 317-215-5111 or www.behomelivelife.com

My dad sleeps all the time. He won’t get involved in any of the activities at the nursing home.

Begin by assessing the current activity calendar with the Activity Director at the nursing home.  Discussing your dad’s interests prior to the onset of dementia with the Activity Director will determine the best schedule of personally meaningful activities for your dad. You may need to adapt an activity to your dad’s level of ability today, but that doesn’t mean he still couldn’t enjoy some of his favorite hobbies. 

Take, for example, fishing.  I use a fishing kit with my grandfather when I visit him in the nursing home.  We straighten the tackle box, practice tying knots, casting the line, and looking at photos of his past fishing trips.  He never actually goes fishing, but he is able to reminisce about the hobby and spend time mentoring me on the best way to catch a bluegill!

For more tips:  check out our website at www.behomelivelife.com or call 317-218-5111

My dad keeps asking the same questions over and over again.

“My dad keeps asking the same questions over and over again.”

Short term memory loss is typical with someone who has Alzheimer’s.  Caregivers may feel themselves becoming very frustrated with repetitive questions and may not know how to help the person with Alzheimer’s.

Tip:

Caregivers should answer the question.  Provide multiple cues to help the person with Alzheimer’s try to remember the answer. 

For example, when asked “When are we going to eat?” try these responses:

Answer #1:  “We will eat at noon.”  Point to a clock and ask if the person if they remember what noon looks like on the clock.  Then say:  “When you smell the bacon cooking you will know that the BLT’s are ready to eat.”

Answer #2:  “Are you hungry now?  We could have a snack.”

Or

Answer #3: “Would you like to help me prepare lunch?”

If this tip isn’t working, try to figure out what need is un-met.  Is the person with Alzheimer’s feeling unsure of himself or the situation?  Is he feeling scared?  Does he need to eat now because he is hungry?  Is he looking for something to do?

Fulfilling an un-met need or using redirection may be an effective tool in reducing repetitive questions and redirecting his thoughts to something different.

For more tips:  check out our website at www.behomelivelife.com or call 317-218-5111

How Do I Get My Mom to Take a Shower?

“How can I get my mom to take a shower?”

Providing personal care is a very demanding job.  Our goal as caregivers should always be do the task “with” the person who has dementia, never to do the task “for” someone with dementia.  Most tasks can be completed successfully; however, many times these tasks will need to be adapted to the person’s abilities. 

Base the bathing task on the routine your mom used prior to the onset of dementia.  Did she take a bath or a shower?  When did she bathe and how often?  Did she wash her hair during her shower?   Once you identify her past routine, you can structure the current routine around her personal preferences.

Remember these tips:

Ensure that the bathroom is comfortable for showering.  Is the temperature comfortable and is the lighting appropriate?

Make sure all necessary items for the shower are waiting in the bathroom.  You don’t want to leave in the middle of the shower to find a towel or soap.

Make the experience a relaxing pleasure, not a demanding chore.

Allow your mom the opportunity to complete as much of her shower herself, as possible.  You may need to stay close by for safety, but remember that dignity is important.

If an argument begins, stop the shower.  Try again later or you may even consider a sink bath. 

Remember, keeping your mom relaxed and feeling safe the important part.  There are many ways to keep a person clean without immersing her completely in the water.

For more tips:  check out our website at www.behomelivelife.com or call 317-218-5111