I knew, when I moved my mom from her home 275 miles to ours, that eventually I’d have to place her in a nursing home. Since I’d been through this with my aunt’s care, I realized that, at some point, caring for Mother would be more than I could manage.

So I began researching before I moved her.  I located a nearby nursing home that, fortunately for Mother and me, had daycare facilities and would take her for weekends whenever I have to be away.  When Mother needed full time care, it was easy to move her here.

However, that nursing home began to have financial difficulties and before long discontinued operations.  When I began to get a sense that I might have to move Mother, I researched other nursing homes. 

Fortunately, when I moved Mother, it was only about 1/2 hour away.  This nursing home came highly recommended by a friend whose mother stayed there.  I also visited, met the administration and some staff, attended a workshop offered there, and got a sense of the care and facility.  This home worked out well, and Mother lived there for eight years before her death.

For more information on choosing the right care facility for your Alzheimer’s family member, you may want to check out, Alzheimer’s Care: From Group Homes to Nursing Facilities at Everyday Health.com.

Post from: Blisstree

The Nursing Home Decision for Your Alzheimer’s Family Member

As I consider the activities used with Alzheimer’s patients of my mother’s era, as well as movies shown and music played, I realize these may change as a younger generation, essentially Baby Boomers, reach the Alzheimer’s stage.  They won’t recognize some of the movies and music, will enjoy some of the same activities, but many different ones, too.

I recall visiting Mother and finding the residents entranced by World War II era and earlier movie stories.  They sang songs that Mother sang to us as children and from her earlier years. 

Languages May Differ

Also, languages spoken in nursing homes may vary, too.  There will be more residents from other countries, who have learned English here, but still recognize their native tongues which are different from the earlier generations.  The staff may need to have knowledge of languages other than English to communicate.

Already nursing homes find there are differences with the newly admitted residents over those of 10 or more years ago.  

What have you found, if you work in a nursing home?

©2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Baby Boomers – Will They Require Different Alzheimer’s Care?

Your Alzheimer’s patient has been restless all day…and into the night.  You’re tired and feel overwhelmed.  You wonder why you’re the one to whom the care of your family member has fallen.

I think it was the tiredness that got to me most because I never slept a whole night through while Mother lived with us.  A friend had warned me, when I found I needed to move Mother to our home, that the sleeplessness would be one of the most difficult aspects.

I realized it wasn’t the same as caring for a baby who woke during the night.  The baby might cry but wouldn’t get out of the crib and wander.  Mother might wander and attempt to leave the house.  She might turn on a stove, so we took all the knobs off every night.  She often raided the refrigerator and placed the food on the floor for her cat if I didn’t get up to see what she was doing.

Mother might decide it was morning, so would attempt to take a bath and fix her hair.  I stopped telling her if we were going somewhere the next day because she’d be up at 2 AM getting ready.  Time lost all meaning for her.

• I found relief in crafts and quilting that Mother could participate in or sit and watch and reminisce.  That seemed to keep her occupied. 
• I did scrapbooking and we talked about the photos and memories.
• I took her for rides, but couldn’t stop at the grocery or do other errands because it was too difficult to take Mother inside with me.
• I found a local nursing home that had daycare and left Mother there when I had to substitute teach or do errands.
• I had a neighbor who came to chat with me and often stayed with Mother while I did errands.  She supervised the care for her aunt, so understood the trials of Alzheimer’s.

If these things sound familiar, what do you do?  What can you do?  Share with us.

(Amazon image; click for details)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

When Alzheimer’s Caregiving Seems Overwhelming

When Alzheimer’s patients can’t communicate, it often becomes very difficult to tell when they’re in pain, when they don’t understand, or when they’re being obstinate.  Are there any clues or signs we should look for?

Marijke Durning, of Help My Hurt, has some suggestions:

You need to be observant and pick up on body and nonverbal cues; some are obvious, others may not be.

Check out her post for suggestions: If someone can’t talk – how do they tell you they have pain?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Recognizing Pain in Alzheimer’s Patients

 It’s difficult enough when you family member has no health problems other than Alzheimer’s  But when there are other issues, such as diabetes, their care becomes more complex for family caregivers and for staff at a nursing home.

Here are 7 tips which hopefully will make diabetes care for Alzheimer’s patients a bit easier:

 1. Learn about diabetic diets, especially if you’re the one preparing the food.

2.  Learn about your family member’s  medical needs.

3.  When your family member resides in a nursing home, make sure you note this on the forms you fill out.  Diabetes should show up in their health records, but be sure you have it documented.

4. Coordinate with caregivers at the nursing home and make sure they know your family member has diabetes.  Monitor diet at a nursing home or with a caregiver in the patient’s home. 

5. You’ll find a diabetic becomes forgetful about medications and diet.  They eventually won’t know why their diet is restricted and may rebel against this.  So..don’t take it personally when the patient gets upset with you as they lose the ability to comprehend diet and medication.

6. Seek advice from the patient’s physician about their care.  Being informed makes it easier to cope.

7.  Remember you aren’t expected to know and do everything, only the best you can.   

When I  cared for Mother and Auntie, both of whom had Alzheimer’s, I had some experience with diabetes.  Although Mother didn’t experience this complication, her sister, Auntie, was a diabetic.  When she lived with Mother and I cared for both of them there, I had to watch Auntie’s diet.  For some reason, she craved sweets like she never had before. 

Mother was concerned and tried to control Auntie’s diet when I had to return to my home in another state.  However, because she was in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s herself, she wasn’t always aware what Auntie ate…or managed to sneak from cupboard to her room.

However, we must have managed fairly well, in spite of not being perfect (see tip #7 above), because Auntie lived to be 88 years old.

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

7 Tips for Care of Alzheimer’s Patients With Diabetes