I was excited, after posting What Would You Like to See at Alzheimer’s Notes in 2008, an immediate response from readers.  This gives me a direction to plan with some of my posts for these topics suggested have multiple aspects to them.

*How can friends and family members on the fringes of Alzheimer’s help, encourage and react?

*Suggestions for balancing caregiving and work.

*I’d mentioned desiring more guest posts and already have someone working on one.

*How can you help children understand Alzheimer’s?

Keep tuned and you’ll be seeing information on these topics and more.

What else would you like to see?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Plans at Alzheimer’s Notes for 2008

At the San Luis Obispo County website, we learn about Martha and Catherine Talavera, Siblings Take on the Challenge of Caring for Their Ailing Mother.  When their mother, Frances,  experienced several strokes and needed full time care, the sisters responded by changing their lives and all three living in Catherine’s home.  Martha gave up her job while Catherine works full time from her home office. 

You can read more about their story, why they decided to change their lives and where they’re finding support and encouragement. Each family’s situation is different, but perhaps you can glean some insight by reading about Martha, Catherine and Frances’ story.

Post from: Blisstree

One Family’s Solution for Caregiving

When I read Jennifer’s post, 32 Little Green Babies,  at Tree Hugging Family,  a new b5media blog, I thought I simply must share it.  Then I shared, in the comments section, about my family rescuing baby ducklings. 

Pets and animals and birds became important in my mom’s life as Alzheimer’s progressed.  She watched birds at our winter feeder.  She was so attached to her cat that we moved it to our home when we moved her, even though my husband said he didn’t want to be bothered by a cat. (He was the one who thought she’d adjust more readily if Kitty came with her.) 

How do nature’s creatures brighten your day and that of your Alzheimer’s family member?

                                    ENJOY!

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Something Fun to Brighten Alzheimer’s Patients’ & Caregivers’ Day

As Alex began to form words and Mothers’ became more mumbled utterances than clear syllables, they made sounds together. 

“Gramma talk to me,” Alex would say.

“What did she say?” I’d ask.

“Dunno,” he replied.  “Gramma talk to me.”

There apparently was a type of communication between the older lady with Alzheimer’s and the little boy.  My mom died when Alex was 6 years old and she 92.  However, even though he’s now 12 years old, he still recalls, “Gramma talked to me.”        

               Both Alex and his sister, four years older than he, enjoyed visits to see my mom in the nursing home.  They played on the floor around her wheel chair.  We had tea parties with her.  They participated in activities for all the residents and brought laughter and joy to them for an afternoon.

This became part of their lives and their memories, just as I have memories of my grandmother.  It didn’t matter that my mom had Alzheimer’s; they accepted her just as she was, as I accepted my invalid grandmother with her physical limitations.

Post from: Blisstree

Do Children and Alzheimer’s Patients Communicate?

 

Also, what about yourself? Caregivers need to care for themselves with proper nutrition.  Sometimes life seems so hectic that good eating habits for ourselves are neglected. 

Try some of the food ideas found at Jul’s Veggie Chic.  She’s hosting the Vegetarian Carnival #4 with Summer in the Kitchen. 

“….enjoy the delicious vegetarian delacacies being served up around the interwebs.  Today we have a variety of summer treats for your enjoyment”

Also, at the Science and Health Channel, you’ll find recommendations from Kendra James at Diabetes Notes that Fruit is a Welcome Choice for Diabetics.  Some Alzheimer’s patients are diabetic (like my aunt) or simply enjoy fruit (like Mother).  Kendra has some good food suggestions and mentions that each diabetic has to find what works for them.

“Fruit is often thought of as ’scary’ for dibetics when truth be told, it is a great way to get what you need in your  daily diet naturally,” says Kendra.

My mom always enjoyed fruit and vegetables throughout her life, more than meat although she wasn’t a vegetarian.  I recall once at the nursing home, when I visited at supper time, a nurse remarked, “Your mother isn’t eating well tonight.”

I inquired, “What are you feeding her?”

“Pureed roast beef.” 

(At that stage Mother couldn’t chew so they had to mash or puree her food.)

Then I asked what else they had and found pureed green beans and mashed pears on the menu.

“Try some of the beans and pears,” I said.  “Mother never was much of a meat eater.”

Sure enough, Mother willingly ate those, although she consumer more of the pears than the beans.  So find out what your Alzheimer’s patient will eat…try some new ideas and enjoy fruits and vegetables on the summer menu for yourself, too.

Post from: Blisstree

Summer Food Ideas for Alzheimer’s Caregivers & Patients

I’m glad there’s an increasing awareness of Alzheimer’s and it’s devastation to family members, victims, and society.  However, I like people to realize that, since we can’t, at this point in time, stop or ignore Alzheimer’s, it’s possible to find joy…both for the patient and yourself.

“Joy!” you say.  “She’s nuts!” 

It was frustrating, it was tiring, it was often sad caring for Mother and Auntie.  However, we did experience laughter and joy.  We all learned to look beyond the tears to the trumphs, beyond the rain to the rainbows…and find pleasure in one another’s company.  No it wasn’t all happiness and roses.  But we learned to laugh, to look at life from a different view, to enjoy small pleasures, to learn about another aspect of life…that of caring and serving and helping others…both the patient and other families.

             Brenda Avadian, who cared for her father with Alzheimer’s, has written about this experience, “Where’s my shoes?” My Father’s Walk Through Alzheimer’s and then compiled two anthologies Finding the Joy in Alzheimer’s.  (I shared stories of Mother and Auntie in both of these.)

                            “After Martin Avadian was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, his daughter, Brenda Avadian, dedicated herself to walking with other caregivers along an otherwise lonely caregiving road.”

Post from: Blisstree

With the Hopelessness Can Come Joy in Alzheimer’s

I so often tried to discover what it was like inside Mother’s mind and thus understand what she was facing…where she was (what era) that day, who she thought I was, what she liked and disliked.  If we could have talked about her disease while she was able to communicate verbally, it would have helped us both.  But I didn’t know to ask her at that time and she didn’t know to tell me.

I did try to learn as much as I could about Alzheimer’s and found one book, Living in the Labyrinth, written by an Alzheimer’s victim, available at that time very helpful. 

Liz’s post, People With Alzheimer’s Disease Speak Out , got me thinking again about the

 necessity of caregivers learning from the patients, whether the caregivers are professionals or family members.

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Learning from Alzheimer’s Patients

Sharing with others, hearing about their experiences, and looking at Alzheimer’s care from their viewpoint also helps us when we think we can’t go another day.  I enjoy so much, Kathy’s stories, at her KnowItalz blog, about the lighter side of caring for her dad with Alzheimer’s.  I know I had to look for the humor in situations with my mom and aunt for all of us to get through our days. 

 I wish I’d had Kathy to correspond with at that time.  Just reading her stories about their life with her dad brighten my day even though I’m no longer an Alzheimer’s caregiver.

           Find a way to deal with your stress…take a walk, start a blog, correspond with other caregivers, visit resources such as Liz provides.

Post from: Blisstree

Stress – a Great Concern for Alzheimer’s Caregivers

Kathy is the primary caregiver for her 78-year old father who has Alzheimer’s and lives with her.  She tries, even though she has a very busy schedule, to find some light hearted humor to write about each day. 

As Kathy describes it, “I am writing a blog that shows the lighter side of caregiving , and offers some tips for caregivers.”

Although my mom and aunt passed away several years ago, I still read Kathy’s blog and can relate.

When we can find humor each day, while caring for our loved one with Alzheimer’s, it makes the task much easier for them and for us.   As I explained to a friend, when I related a funny incident about caring for my mom, “I’m not laughing at her.  I’m laughing at the situation.  And Mother often laughs with me.”  (Sometimes it was either laugh or cry to survive.)  It made both of us feel better in an often frustrating and difficult Alzheimer’s world.

Kathy, in her blog, makes the Alzheimer’s world a bit brighter as she finds humor in small things that cheer her father and her…and the rest of us, as she shares them.

And this short blog post, Can You?, is one you must read.

After reading Kathy’s blog, I think you’ll want to start keeping some notes about the lighthearted incidents in your Alzheimer’s world. 

Post from: Blisstree

Finding Humor in Our Alzheimer’s Days

Tasha Hamm mentions:  “You don’t remember the bad days.  You remember the little miracles, the windows, the amazing things that happen.  I hope I give them the same care someone would give my father if he was here.  I hope they can feel, in some way, that sense of love.”

As I think about Mother and Auntie’s care, I realize so many of their caregivers felt the same way for them and the other patients.  Even though the Alzheimer’s patients might be difficult at times, the staff working on these wards usually they were there from choice.

When I had to move Mother 275 miles from Auntie’s nursing home to my home, the nurses wrote letters letting Mother know how her sister was.  They didn’t have to do this, but when I mentioned Mother was concerned, they took time.  (And Mother wasn’t even their patient!)

With a touch, a soft word, a smile, a laugh…a caregiver provides comfort and encouragement.  Mother’s and Auntie’s caregivers read to them, found music they liked, fixed their hair, did their nails.  They might not do this every day, but found time to do something special on a regular basis. 

      So often it’s the small things that caregivers do, sometimes things we’re not even aware of or notice. 

As I think back about the caregivers who remain in my mind, I realize they cared for the patient and the families.  They were willing to take time in their busy schedule to explain to me what Mother might be feeling, what was happening with her care, why certain routines were changed.

There was sense that they really cared.

Post from: Blisstree

Thankfulness for Alzheimer’s Caregivers