I created this BLOG in hopes that my journey with my mother and her Alzheimer’s can help others. I list my daily posts below. I wanted to explain a little about my mother Alzheimer’s. She has helped me all my life with my journey of cerebral palsy. She is 88 years old and has had Alzheimer’s for at least 13 years now. I first noticed her memory problems back in the fall of 1997. She was able to keep driving and handling her check book until the winter of 2003/2004. She could still go on 2 mile hikes with me into 2005 and ½ mile walks thru 2008, now she mostly can only walk a few yards before her hip starts to hurt her. I moved back into her home in 2005 to help her stay in her house although I have kept my own place thru 2010. One of the things I feel that has helped her go 13 years and still going is I’ve had people (mostly me) around her quit a bit. This helped her stay engaged with people. In 2003 she averaged people with her @90hrs/wk out of 168 hrs in a week, in 2004/2005/2006 @110hrs/wk, 2007 @125hrs/wk, 2008 @135hrs/wk. Then starting in January 2009 she has had someone with her 24/7. I started using care givers in 2005 to help and to give mom other women to talk to and get use to. Right now she can still dress and undress herself but is starting to struggle with it and needs to be told what to do most of the time. About a year ago in December 2009 she started to refuse to wash herself now one of the care givers I use sponge bathes her 3 times a week. Right now mentally she is like a 6 year old girl with just a few seconds of memory. She has started to get confused with the getting undressed and dressed part but can still do it herself. She has also sometimes thought the person she sees in the bathroom mirror is someone else this has started just a few months ago. She can still walk on her own with no help. Here is a list of the drugs and supplements she takes for her Alzheimer’s • Razadyne started in 2000 • Namenda started March 2005 • Folic Acid started in 2001 • Turmeric started in 2001
Thursday March 31st 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom got up and dressed on her own without being told to or how. Andrea just set her cloths out and she got into them on her own. She even was dressed as I ate breakfast so we ate together. Mom did not want to take her pills for Andrea at first. She went to her room with the pills wrapped up in a napkin and tried to go to bed with the napkin and pills in her hand. So I had to intervene mom got very upset at me she would not give the pills to me so I had to speak with a stern tone which was the only way that would work the other ways where not working. She went into the bathroom and I had to get the pills before she threw them away so she ended up throwing them at me luckily they stayed wrapped in the napkin. This was the first time she gave me this kind of trouble in a long time I hate having to use the stern tone. Of course 2 minutes later mom had forgotten all about it. I took off to go over to my apartment and clean it up some I even had Patti come by to help. It is my last day of having the apartment in some ways it was a sad day. I have had this place for over 20 years and the last few it has served as a sanctuary. I will meet my landlord tomorrow at the apartment to give her the keys. Mom was asleep when I got back at 4pm. Shannon told me mom was sleeping most of the 2 hours she was here and a lot of the time Andrea was here after I left. Mom got up shortly after I got home and we went for a drive to Sioux Passage Park before dinner. Mom was quiet during the drive or at least parts of it. Same thing during dinner but she did talk about the squirrels outside. We watched TV and laughed during the evening. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she didn’t go to bed until midnight. I had some fussing when it came to changing out of her pants but not to bad.
Wednesday March 30th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea did have a hard time getting mom washed today but did get all of her washed. Mom was mad at Andrea most of the time she was awake being a little evil today with Andrea. Like Andrea said before the good thing is this means there is still some fight in mom. Mom was asleep when I left today but up eating lunch when I got back at 1:30pm. I spent most of my time away over at my apartment tomorrow will be my last day I have the apartment. It is hard leaving the apartment I have had my own place for nearly 30 years now most of them in this apartment. I know it is best money wise because it does save me money so I can help save mom more money. Mom took a short nap after lunch before we went on a drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was a mostly sunny afternoon with temps in the low 50’s. Mom was quiet for most of the drive but enjoyed getting out of the house with me. We took a short bathroom break when we got back then took another drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was still quiet but responsive most of the time and enjoyed most of the drive. Both drives mom pointed out her house when she saw it although anymore she normally does remember when she is getting close to her house until she sees it. We watched a little news before dinner. During dinner both tonight and last night she got a laugh out of squeezing the fake bird making the bird sing. She also talked about the squirrels running up and down the tree outside the dinning room window. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10:15pm. We watched TV and laughed tonight but the rest of the time mom was quiet. I got a little fussing tonight when it came to mom brushing her teeth but not much. I had no problem getting mom to put on her nightgown I just had to explain what to do.
Tuesday March 29th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was asleep when I left today. Andrea said she did not have any problems getting mom to dress or take her pills she just said mom was sleepy today. Mom was up eating lunch when I got back at 1:30pm so I joined her for lunch. I spent the morning over at my apartment trying to enjoy my last couple of days there. Mom went back in to nap until 4pm so I did some work on the computer I had been wanting to. It was a cloudy day with temps in the 40’s so when mom got up we went for a drive. Mom was quiet on the drive or at least most of it. We had dinner after we got back before settling down to watch TV. Mom was quiet during dinner but responsive all day and night whenever I talked to her or made her laugh. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10pm. Tonight I had really no problems getting mom to change into her nightgown and take off her pants. Like most of the time anymore I had to explain what to do to change.
Monday March 28th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea struggled with bathing mom today but did get all of her somewhat clean. Not real sure but I think mom slept most of the day with the caregivers. She was asleep when I left and when I came back. I spent most of my time away at my apartment I have just a couple days left before I give up the apartment and my sanctuary for I will be out by the 1st of April. I’m glad I’m giving it up in spring so I can hike in nice temps and use the woods as my sanctuary. Today mostly was sunny with temps getting into the 40’s. Mom and I took a drive this afternoon before dinner since the temps and weather wasn’t to bad. Mom was quiet on the drive but did respond whenever I talked to her and she mostly enjoyed getting out with me. Mom was also quiet during dinner and this evening but responsive and I got her laughing several times. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she didn’t go to bed until midnight. I had no problem getting mom to change I just had to explain what to do.
Sunday March 27th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up around 10am we watched a church service on TV before breakfast. I had no problem getting mom dressed but she did hesitate a bit on taking the pills but I got her to start taking them by telling her the faster she takes them the faster we can go for a drive and that got her taking the pills. I did my normal having mom go to the bathroom 3 times before our drive. Today it was mostly sunny and temps in the mid to upper 30’s. So we took a drive up the river road to Grafton, IL. Some of the trees had started to bud with the warmer weather a few days ago but most where still bare of leafs or flowers. Mom was somewhat talkative during the drive talking about everything from the birds to the river, snow and trees. It was good to hear her more talkative. I know I’ve said this several times before but I will miss these days when they are gone and I thank god for giving me her as my mother. After our drive we had lunch in which mom talked about the birds and what little snow was left. After lunch mom took a nap so I too took a short nap. Then we took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was cloudier on this drive with temps around 40. Mom was pretty quiet on this drive but responsive whenever I talked to her. Even when mom is quiet she is still enjoying the drives most of the time. She enjoys me just being there but with her memory problems it’s hard to think of things to say. We ate dinner when we got back from our drive before watching TV in the evening. Both at dinner and watching TV mom was quieter but did respond whenever I talked to her. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. Tonight I did not get a lot of fussing when it came to mom changing into her nightgown and taking off her pants. I did have to explain what to do but thank god she can still do it herself.
Saturday March 26th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up around 9am to eat breakfast and to get dressed. We woke up to very cloudy skies and cold temps in the 30’s but no snow yet. I really didn’t have much trouble getting mom dressed or taking her pills. Mom did talk some about the birds on the feeder during breakfast. Since it was so cloudy and snow on the way we took a shorter drive today to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area during the drive mom was pretty quiet. When we got back it still hadn’t started snowing yet so we went to the bathroom then another drive to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area. On this drive mom was more talkative and engaging. We mostly talked about the views and clouds in the sky. It started to snow just as the drive was about 2/3 done. The snow looked pretty and mom talked about that a little. This was our last drive of the day and I’m not sure if we will get out tomorrow or not. We got about 5 inches of snow here at least on the grass this afternoon and evening. Mom and I ate lunch after our second drive and talked about the snow coming down and the birds feeding. She was engaging during lunch but laid down for a nap shortly after lunch. It was a good afternoon for a nap with it snowing outside. I even took a very short power nap then played on the computer. After mom got up from her nap we watched the news then ate dinner. It was still snowing outside so we talked about that and how pretty it looked. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. We watched TV and laughed this evening but mom was on the quiet side. I had to explain to her how to brush her teeth but she did understand it better tonight than last night. I had really no problem getting her to put on her nightgown of course I had to explain what to do and I didn’t make her take the pants off. Overall mom was in good spirits and at least responsive and somewhat talkative at times at least for her.
Friday March 25th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea didn’t have any problems today washing mom, getting her dressed or taking her pills. Andrea said mom was very compliant and sleepy. Mom was asleep when I left. It was a snowy/rainy morning. I ran some errands and spent some time at my apartment the few hours I was gone. Mom was up eating lunch when I got back at 1:30pm so I joined her. Since it was a rainy afternoon we watched some TV waiting for the rain to stop. During this time mom was responsive when I talked to her but otherwise she was quiet. It did stop raining so mom and I took a drive to Sioux Passage Park. During the drive mom was quiet but responsive when I talked to her. We ate dinner when we got back and mom was more talkative during dinner talking about the birds outside on the feeder. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:45pm and she went to bed around 11:30pm. We watched TV and laughed this evening. She enjoyed watching some singing on the local PBS station tonight smiling and humming along on some of the music. I did have some problems tonight getting mom to understand what she needed to do to brush her teeth. I had no problem getting her to change into her nightgown but I also didn’t try to have her take the pants off.
Thursday March 24th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom had just finished breakfast and her pills and getting dressed when I left to. Andrea said mom was unsettled today getting up looking around the house then going back to bed. She did this several times but slept most of the 2 hours Shannon was here. I spent most of my time away today at my apartment since it was cold and cloudy all day. It was a good day to get some things done at my apartment. Mom was asleep when I got home at 3:30pm but got up shortly after I got home. Mom was having problems again understanding when I told her to go to the bathroom before our drive. Over the past few months mom has started not understanding this. I took mom on a short drive and trip to Walgreens to get her prescription paperwork from 2010. It was still cloudy and cold not at all like yesterday. During this drive mom was more disconnected than responsive. She was like in her own little world. We ate dinner when we got back during which mom was a little more responsive. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm. We watched TV until mom went to bed at 10:30pm. During the evening mom was quiet but responded anytime I talked to her. I had no fussing getting mom to put her nightgown on but she was confused on both why and how so I explained what to do. I did get fussing when it came to mom taking of the pants. Overall today mom was more unsettled and disconnected than her normal.
Wednesday March 23rd 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was able to get all of mom washed today. Mom was sleeping when I left and slept about half of the 6 hours Andrea was here today. Andrea did have trouble getting mom dressed and her pills taken today. Mom wasn’t being real fussy just didn’t understand why she needed to get dressed she though she was dressed since she was in her nightgown. Like I have said before mom just doesn’t understand anymore the whole changing thing. Since today was such a nice day mostly sunny with temps in the 70’s I took a short hike along the river and didn’t even go over to my apartment. It was relaxing for me to get out into the woods a little it helps to recharge my batteries. Mom was eating lunch when I got home at 1:30pm so I joined her and had my lunch. I had mom go to the bathroom a couple of times after lunch so we could go for a drive. It was such a sunny warm day we drove first to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area with a bathroom break there at the visitor center then on to Sioux Passage Park. So we ended up taking a 2 hour drive since it was so nice and tomorrow the cold weather comes back. During most of the drive mom was more into talking and more responsive than yesterday. We ate dinner shortly after we got back were mom talked about the wind outside. The wind was so strong you could hear it blowing up against the window and door as well as through the trees outside. It was fun watching the birds try and eat on the feeder with all the wind. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and she went to bed around 10:30pm. After dinner mom and I watched TV and talked. Mom was quiet tonight unless I started the talking. I didn’t have any problems getting mom to brush her teeth or get into her nightgown I didn’t try and get her to take off her pants tonight. I did have to explain what to do. Overall with me mom was in good spirits and seemed mostly happy.
Tuesday March 22nd 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was asleep when I left this morning and slept most of the 7 hours Andrea and Schatcie were here. I left about an hour or so after Andrea got here Andrea did have problems this morning getting mom to take her pills. Today I got in about 20 minutes of hiking along with a lot of errands during the 5 to 6 hours I was away from mom. Mom was sleeping when I got back home at 3:30pm and got up around 4pm. Since it was a warm day today with temps in the mid 70’s I took mom on a drive to Sioux Passage Park shortly after she got up. She was quiet on most of the drive but responsive when I talked to her. We even took a short walk only 100 yards or so at the park. Mom did talk more during our walk than she did on the drive. During dinner when we got back mom was quieter than her normal but still responded whenever I talked to her. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:45pm. We watched TV and talked and laughed after dinner but unless I started the talking, mom was quiet this evening as well. I had her go to bed a little after 11:30pm tonight. I again had mom fussing when it came to changing into the nightgown and out of the pants. She just does not like taking the pants off after she puts on her nightgown. Overall I feel mom was in fairly good spirits with me but a little less talkative today.
Monday March 21st 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel accident around 6am. She actually opened my bedroom door because the kitchen light that I keep on at night was flashing on and off. She didn’t say anything and was in a confused state but she did know something was not normal with the light and in her way wanted me to know. Andrea did get all of mom washed today and got some of her toe nails trimmed. Mom was asleep when I left. I meet up with my friend Patti to move some of my stuff she wanted to her house and some stuff to my house. Mom was up eating lunch when we stopped by to drop some of the stuff off at moms house. Mom was back asleep when I got back at 3:30pm and slept most of the 2 hours Shannon was here. Mom got up around 4:30pm and we watched a little TV before dinner. I was so tired today myself we didn’t go for a drive today. During dinner mom talked about the sunset and the color in the clouds she still loves things that go on in the sky. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and she went to bed at 11pm. We watched TV after dinner and mom was quiet but responsive whenever I talked to her. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or change of course tonight I didn’t try and get her to take her pants off after she put the nightgown on. I didn’t even have to tell her what to do tonight.
Sunday March 20th 2011
Mom did have a number 1 bowel overnight and then another one this evening when she got up from her nap. I had my friend Patti over this morning so I could go to church. Mom slept the time Patti was here which is what I thought she would do since I went to an earlier service. I got mom up, dressed and feed around 11am when I got back home. I had to explain some on how to get dressed but not too much. I had no problem getting her to take her pills. Now keep in mind that I have spent at least 17 to 18 hours a day with mom everyday for the past 3 years and at least 11 hours a day for 2 years before that so I have learned moms moods and how to handle her most of the time. That is why I can most of the time keep her in good spirits or at least get her to do things. Also I do ask god for help sometimes often. During breakfast mom talked a little about the birds and read my card a couple of times. I had mom go to the bathroom 3 times before our longer drive to Pere Marquette State Park. We got a later start today but the day was partly sunny with temps getting into the 80’s. We did our normal stops at the visitor center in Grafton for bathroom breaks but those were our only stops today. Mom and I talked some about the different plane streaks in the sky and the barges on the river. We even saw a few boats on the river. Mom also talked about all the motorcycles that were on the road. Mom was a lot more talkative on the drive today than yesterday. We ate lunch shortly after we got back then mom and I both took a nap. I was tired from being up late last night and getting up early today for church. After we got up we watched some news before taking a short drive to Sioux Passage Park. It was mostly sunny with temps in the low 80’s. During this drive mom was quiet but did respond whenever I talked to her. We ate dinner when we got back during which mom talked a little about the birds on the feeder but was mostly quiet. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was near 7pm and I had her go to bed around 10:30pm. We watched TV and talked at least when I started the talk or got mom laughing. Like I’ve said before I get mom laughing mostly by acting silly. Overall mom has been in good spirits today except tonight when I had her change into her nightgown and take her pants off. She got mad at me and at first was refusing to take the pants off after she put the nightgown on. I would just wait a few seconds and repeat telling her I need her to take the pants off so I can wash them. I even had to point to her pants so she would know what I meant by pants.
Saturday March 19th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up at 9:30am for breakfast and to get dressed. I had to tell her what to do to get dressed and layout the cloths but she put her nightgown in the closet and made her bed without me saying anything. During breakfast mom talked a little about the birds outside and I had no problem getting her to take her pills. I had mom take the usual 3 bathroom trips before we would leave on our drive to Pere Marquette State Park. We actually stopped 3 times today for bathroom breaks during our drive the 2 normal ones at the visitor center in Grafton plus today the one at Pere Marquette State Park. It was a mostly cloudy day with temps getting into the 50’s. Mom was somewhat talkative at times whenever something caught her eye and was responsive when I talked to her. We had lunch when we got back were mom was fairly quiet. Then after a couple of bathroom breaks and watching some TV we took a short drive to Sioux Passage Park and she was quiet but responsive during our second drive. After a bathroom break when we got back I took mom out for dinner to my favorite Mexican restaurant. It was about 5pm when we got there and a large party came in right after we ordered. It is better to get to restaurants around 4 or 4:30. The view out the window at the restaurant helped with mom. Mom didn’t really get upset and fuss but I could tell she wasn’t enjoying herself and was more confused than normal. So we didn’t stay long just ate then left. Mom did talk about the cars going up and down the street. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was at 6:30pm and since she had not taken any naps I had her going to bed at 9:30pm. We watched TV and laughed some this evening. I had no problem getting her to brush her teeth or change. I just had to explain what to do. I also didn’t even try and get her to take off her pants when she put the nightgown on. Overall mom was in good spirits today but just gets confused on things.
Friday March 18th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had very little problem today getting mom washed and got all of her washed today. Andrea did have problems getting mom up for breakfast. Mom just wanted to stay in bed not really fussing as much as just being non-responsive but Andrea did get her up dressed and feed. Mom slept the whole 6 hours Andrea was here except for about 30 minutes. Mom was sleeping when I got back at 1:30pm. While Andrea was here I got in a little hike spent sometime at my apartment and did some grocery shopping. It was a cloudy day with some rain and temps mostly in the 50’s. Mom did get up shortly after I got back and watched some TV before we took a drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was quiet on this drive but I did get her laughing some. We had dinner after our drive where mom did talk some about the squirrels running up and down the tree. After dinner we watched some news before taking another drive to Sioux Passage Park. On this drive mom was more talkative. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was around 7pm. We watched TV this evening and mom was somewhat talkative at least when I started the talking. She went to bed a little after 10:30pm. I really had no problem getting her to brush or change although I did have to explain what to do.
Thursday March 17th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea did have problems getting mom dressed and taking her pills today. Mom wasn’t fussing or grumpy she just didn’t know what to do so Andrea had to explain it. Andrea said it took seemly forever for mom to take her pills mom would keep drinking her milk but not take the pills. Andrea said mom drank a lot of milk today before getting all her pills down, so no problem with mom getting her calcium today LOL. Mom was asleep when I left today but got up as soon as I got home at 1:30pm. Mom and I had lunch together today and she was somewhat talkative for her during lunch mostly talking about the birds outside. Shortly after lunch we took a drive to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area. I had some problems explaining to mom to go to the bathroom before our drive she wasn’t getting grumpy she just was having a hard time understanding. It must be hard for her not understanding things and getting more confused. It was another beautiful day today sunny and we even set a record temp when it hit 83% looks like winter is ending on the warm side after being so cold earlier this winter. Mom was more talkative on our drive but not always making sense with what she was saying but trying to carry on a conversation. We watched a little TV when we got back before dinner. I closed the drapes at dinner to keep the sun out of moms eyes but that did mean she couldn’t see outside so she was pretty quiet during dinner. It was such a good day that we went for another drive after dinner to Sioux Passage Park. Mom was quiet on this drive then we just watched some TV when we got back. Mom was more talkative when we where watching TV and I found the Celtic Thunder group singing on PBS mom was even singing along on some of the songs. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 7:30pm and 5:30pm on the drink. She went to bed a little after 10pm. She seem to grasp how to start getting undressed tonight but she put up a fuss when I had her take the pants off. I would tell her I need for her to take the pants off she say no then I distract her a little then tell her again like it was the first time I said it. After doing this a few times she finally did take them off so now Andrea can bathe her tomorrow.
Wednesday March 16th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had a hard time trying to get mom cleaned today and getting her pills down. She didn’t get moms backside washed today just most of the front side. Mom slept most of the 6 hours Andrea was here today and the times she was up mom was grumpy confused. Mom was in bed when I got back at 1:30pm but got up shortly after I got back so around 2:30pm we went for a longer drive to Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. Mom was getting confused when I told her to go to the bathroom before our drive. Like I’ve said before mom has started to become more and more confused. Mom was also not being real responsive when I talked to her but after a few hugs, getting her to laugh and telling her I love her several times mom became responsive and in a good mood. I got her in such a happy place that she even talked a little to the women running the visitor center. Mom started out the drive in her on little world and non responsive but I ended up getting her to talk and be responsive. We watched some news when we got back before eating any dinner. Today was a beautiful day for a drive it was mostly sunny with temps in the 60’s. During dinner mom was quiet but was more responsive when I talked to her while we watched TV this evening. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was at 6:30pm and she went to bed a little after 10pm. Tonight I had to explain and help her more with getting her to brush her teeth she was a little confused on it but not real fussy. She also was getting a little confused on getting her top off and her nightgown on. Overall today mom was not as talkative and more confused but I still got her into a good mood and laughing. I know I’ve said this in the past but I will miss these times and wish they hadn’t gone by so fast when she is gone. So I try to enjoy and thank god for everyday I do get with her.
Tuesday March 15th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was asleep when I left today to go over to my apartment and have the Salvation Army come over to pick up a lot of my stuff. Now my apartment is really looking empty now, I have just a few things that my friend Patti wanted left. Schatcie was with mom when I got back at 3:30pm. On Tuesdays I normally have Andrea and Schatcie watch mom to give me a little more time for myself. I was told mom slept most of the day today. She was asleep when I got home and didn’t get up until 4:15pm at which time we went for a drive. Before our drive mom was confused about going to the bathroom. She is getting more confused on things anymore. We drove up to Sioux Passage Park. During the drive mom was somewhat talkative for her at least. We watched the news when we got back before dinner during which mom was quiet. Mom was getting a kick out of a fake bird that sings when you squeeze it during dinner. During the evening mom was quiet but responsive and happy especially when I got her laughing. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. Tonight I got her laughing hard before I had her change into her nightgown but tonight even with that she got very mad and fought when I had her take the pants off. She even said tonight she hated me which she has said several times in the past when I had her take the pants off and just 3 minutes earlier she was laughing and telling me she loved me. That’s just it with Alzheimer’s a person can be happy one minute then mad the next especially if they are doing something they really are confused about.
Monday March 14th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea bathe mom this morning but today mom was grumpy and fighting it. Mom had eaten breakfast and was back in bed when I left this morning. It was a snowy morning here a good day to sleep plus mom was tired from the weekend. Besides the washing this morning mom was in a good mood but did sleep most of the time I was gone and was sleeping when I got home at 3:30pm. I woke mom up around 4pm and we took a short drive to the post office and Sioux Passage Park but we never got out of the car until we got back home. It was wet and slushy on the roads and walkways. It was even raining a little so we took my minivan. Mom was quiet on the drive but did talk a little and was responsive whenever I talked to her. During dinner mom was quiet as well I think she was still a little tired from this weekend and the time change I feel through her body off. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm. We watched TV and laughed during the evening until she went to bed at 10:30pm. Mom was quiet this evening but in good spirits. I had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or change into her nightgown although I did have to explain what to do.
Sunday March 13th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up at 9am to get dressed and for breakfast. I did have to layout moms cloths and tell her what she needed to do but thank god she could do it herself. During breakfast mom did not talk much but was in a good mood and I had no problem getting her to take her pills. Mom took a short nap after breakfast while I watched a church program. I had mom take a couple bathroom breaks after my program before our drive. We drove today to Pere Marquette State Park stopping at the Grafton Visitors Center for bathroom breaks. It was a cloudy day with temps in the 40’s. Mom was quieter today than yesterday on our drive but still happy and responsive most of the drive. I fixed lunch after our drive during which mom talked more and about the birds outside on the feeder. We took a second drive to Columbia Bottoms Conservation area shortly after our lunch. Mom was more talkative on this drive or at least for her. We watched the news when we got back before dinner. During dinner mom was pretty quiet I think she was getting tired she went to bed for an hour nap after dinner. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm. After her nap we watched TV and laughed she was more talkative and responsive after her nap. I had her go to bed at 11:30pm and she did fuss a lot when I had her change into her nightgown and take off her pants mostly because she didn’t understand way. Overall mom was in a good mood.
Saturday March 12th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I slept in this morning myself and got mom up at 10am for breakfast. I had to explain what to do on changing into her cloths but I thank god she can still do it herself. During breakfast I had no real problem getting mom to take her pills thank god. She did talk a little during breakfast when she saw the cardinal on the birdfeeder. She likes the bright color birds. After breakfast I had her go to the bathroom a couple of times before we went on our normal Saturday drive to Pere Marquette State Park stopping at the Grafton visitors center for bathroom breaks. Another think I thank god for that mom can still go to the bathroom by herself. Mom was talkative more on the first part of the drive then got quiet as the drive went on although she was still responsive whenever I talked to her. She would mostly talk today about things she noticed in the sky like jet streaks crossing in the sky or birds flying. It was a party sunny day with temps getting up to the 60’s. The drive lasted for about 2 ½ hours counting the bathroom breaks. I fixed us lunch shortly after we got back in which mom talked about the sky getting cloudier and the wind blowing the tree branches. We watched a little TV before taking another shorter drive to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area. It was cloudier and cooler on this drive and mom was quiet for most of it unless I said something to her. Mom did enjoy most of both drives like I’ve said before I feel it’s good to get her out. I feel it stimulates her brain as well as good for the whole body. We watched the news after our second drive and before dinner. Mom ended up not taking a nap today so she was up from 10am until 10:30pm. During dinner mom was quiet but did read my card a few times. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm. During the evening mom was quiet but responsive when I talked to her as we watched TV and laughed. I did get some fussing when I had mom brush her teeth tonight but not when she changed into her nightgown. Again tonight I did not have mom take the pants off.
Friday March 11th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea did make it today and washed mom. Andrea told me mom was happy to see her and that mom missed her as Andrea was washing her. Mom was talking to Andrea nicely during her washing. I was happy to hear mom actually missed Andrea some part of mom must have known it had been awhile since she had seen Andrea. Mom was just starting to get up when I left today to do a lot of running around with errands. Andrea told me mom slept about half the 7 hours she was here and that mom was warm and sweet today. Mom was awake when I got back at 2:30pm and had a banana while I ate a sandwich. It was a warm and sunny day today the temp got up to 60 so I decided to take mom for a short drive and out to dinner. We went to my favorite Mexican restaurant for taco salads and ice cream. I also like taking mom to this restaurant because she can look outside and see the cars driving on the road and that seems to catch her attention in a good way. So I think the few times we do go out to eat we will go there for most of them. After dinner we watched TV and talked. Mom was a little more talkative tonight that her normal. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 5pm and the last time she had anything to drink was at 6:30pm. Mom went to bed close to midnight. I had no problem getting mom to change into her nightgown I just had to explain what to do. I also did not try and get her to take the pants off since tomorrow is not a wash day. Overall mom has had a good day and happier than her normal.
Thursday March 10th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up at 10am to feed her breakfast and get her pills down before Shannon arrived at noon. Andrea was also sick today so I had Shannon put in more hours. Andrea is planning on being here on Friday it will be good to have my right arm back. During breakfast mom, talked about the squirrels outside on the tree giving me a play by play. She was in pretty good spirits during breakfast but did ask if the pills where hers or mine. This was the first time she asked me if the pills where hers or mine. I left when Shannon got here and mom was back in bed and was in bed most of the time I was gone. I got back at 3:30pm mom was in bed but was up for a little while when Shannon feed her lunch. Mom and I took a short drive before dinner to Sioux Passage Park. It has been cloudy all day with temps only getting into the 30’s. During our drive mom was somewhat talkative for her and responsive whenever I talked to her. I have lived with mom for so long now that I know how to try and keep her in good spirits for her. It’s just something you learn over time of course it doesn’t always work and with Alzheimer’s is constantly changing. But it does help to pure lots of love their way. During dinner mom was quiet and at times when we were watching TV she was like in her own world not responding to me. She was also responsive at times and I got her laughing by mostly acting silly. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 10pm. I had some problems tonight getting mom to take off her pants after she put her nightgown on. She was fighting it partly because she was confused and upset about being confused. Overall mom has been in good spirits with me just confused with the whole changing thing.
Wednesday March 9th 2011
Mom did have a small bowel accident overnight. Andrea was still sick so mom did not get washed today. I had Schatcie and Patti come over today which gave me a chance to run some errands. I got mom up at 9am so I could get her breakfast and pills down her before Schatcie arrived at 10am. Mom was talking about the squirrels during breakfast. Mom went to bed shortly after I left and slept most of the time I was gone. When I got back at 3:30pm mom was sleeping but got up shortly after I got home. Since it was cloudy and rainy we didn’t go for a drive but watched TV and laughed before dinner. During dinner mom read her card a few times other than that she was quiet. We watched TV and talked this evening. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 11pm. Mom was quiet this evening unless I started the conversation or did something silly to get her to laugh. I like to get her laughing a lot I feel it’s good for the body and staying well if you laugh. I found the best way to get mom out of her chair without a fight is to ask for a hug which she likes. So that gets her up then after the hug and getting her to laugh I say ok I’ll let you go to the bathroom now. She thinks she got up to go to the bathroom anyway and goes. I’m adding this mostly for people who might be reading this and dealing with the same thing. I had really no problem tonight getting mom to brush her teeth but she did fuss a little on changing into her nightgown.
Tuesday March 8th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was sick today so I had Schatcie pick up her hours one advantage of having several care givers use to mom. Mom was sleeping when I left today to meet up with the movers to move some stuff to the house. Mom was still in bed when I came back a little later with the movers but got up and had breakfast while we where unloading my stuff. I left after we unloaded my stuff and mom went back to bed. It was a rainy day all day today good day to sleep. Mom ended up sleeping most of the time I was gone today so I woke her up when I got back home at 2pm so we could eat lunch together and I could get her to take her pills. Mom didn’t take her pills this morning with Schatcie. Mom was up the rest of the day after lunch so we watched TV, talked and laughed. I can still get her to laugh mostly by acting silly. Since it was raining all afternoon we did not go for a drive today. Mom seemed in a good mood most of the afternoon but quiet until I started talking to her. During lunch she did mention the squirrels outside on the tree and during supper she read my card a few times. We also watched TV this evening and laughed. The last time mom had anything to eat was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 10:30pm. I really had no problem getting mom to brush her teeth or change into her nightgown. Since Andrea will not be coming over tomorrow I didn’t make mom take of her pants. I have 2 other care givers coming instead since my right arm Andrea is sick. Overall mom has been in good spirits and responsive whenever I talked to her.
Monday March 7th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea was able to get mom washed today with minimal fussing. Mom was just getting up when I left today to get my apartment ready for the movers tomorrow. I will miss my place I have been there for over 21 years and the past for years it has served as my sanctuary from dealing with mom. It is one of the hardest things mentally I have done giving up my own place. Even though I can still afford it I have finally decided to free up that money which will give me more money to help with mom if need be. This is my last month in my own place. Oh well back to mom she was sleeping when I got back but Shannon said she was up most of the time she was here and in a more talkative mood. Mom was also up watching TV with Andrea for awhile today as well and in good spirits. Mom and I took our short drive to Sioux Passage Park after she got up. During our drive she was talkative at times and like in her own little world and not very responsive at other times. During dinner mom was pretty quiet but responsive when I talked to her. We watched TV and laughed after dinner. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm. I had a hard time getting mom to get out of her chair tonight to get ready for bed. I would tell her what to do several times and that it was getting late but what I was saying wasn’t really being understood. I was getting frustrated it was about 11:30pm when I finally got her up to go to bed after about 30 minutes strait of explaining the same thing over and over. Thank god I had really no problem getting her to change into her nightgown of course tonight I didn’t even try and get her to take the pants off. Overall mom was in good spirits and somewhat talkative today.
Sunday March 6th 2011
Mom did have a small bowel accident overnight. I got mom up at 9am for breakfast. I had no problem getting mom to change and I did not have to explain what to do I just set out her cloths. During breakfast mom talked some about the squirrels but was also quiet but responsive whenever I talked to her. Mom and I both watched one of my church programs before our long Sunday drive. Today was a sunny day with temps in the 40’s. During our drive up the river road to Pere Marquette State Park mom was pretty talkative and happy. During the end of our drive though, mom was getting more into her own world and less responsive when I talked to her. We ate lunch after we got back in which mom talked about the squirrels. We watched a little TV before taking another drive to Sioux Passage Park. Mom enjoyed most of this drive except when the sun was in her face then she got a little frustrated. Mom ended up not taking a nap today either. After watching some news we ate dinner. During dinner mom was getting a kick out of her card again she just loves reading it and every time she reads it it’s like the first time. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:30pm and tonight I had her go to bed at 9pm since she hasn’t napped any the past 2 days. We watched TV this evening and talked, mom was quiet tonight unless I started the talking. I really had just a little fussing tonight when I had mom change into her nightgown. The fussing came when I had her taking the pants off. She was also confused on what to do when changing. Overall mom had a good day and was in a good mood most of the time.
Saturday March 5th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. I got mom up at 10am for breakfast but she was up earlier a couple of times just wondering around the house for a few minutes each time before going back to bed. During breakfast mom was quiet for most of it but did talk a little about the squirrels outside. I had her go to the bathroom my normal 3 times before we went for a short drive. I ended the drive early because it started to rain. Shortly after this drive we went for our normal longer drive along the river road to Grafton IL. On both of these drives mom was quiet and grumpy at times. It was colder today and very cloudy. We had lunch when we got back in which mom started talking a little more about the squirrels and read her card again several times. After our late lunch mom and I went on our 3rd drive this time to Sioux Passage Park. On this drive mom was happy even blowing some kisses and talkative. We watched some TV when we got back before dinner. Mom ended up not taking any naps today after I got her up at 10am. During dinner mom talked about her card some more and was somewhat talkative. The last time mom had anything to drink or eat was at 6:30pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm tonight so mom was up for over 12 hours strait today but was responsive when ever I talked to her. Mom was a little confused tonight on how to brush her teeth but figured it out without me telling her. She did change into her nightgown without any help tonight as well. I did not even try to get her to take off the pants. Overall mom started out a little grumpy on the first 2 drives but then became happier and more talkative for her at least.
Friday March 4th 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea got all of mom washed today and mom was pretty mellow about it. Mom was asleep when I left this morning and was sleeping when I got back at 1:30pm. Andrea told me mom slept most of the time she was here. It was a cloudy day then started to rain hard with thunderstorms this evening. Mom and I did get in a drive earlier this afternoon before the rain came. We just drove out to Sioux Passage Park. During the drive mom was talkative towards the beginning then became quiet but responsive when I talked to her. During dinner mom was quiet but was talkative during the evening while we watched TV, or at least talkative for her. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 5:30pm and she went to bed at 11:30pm. I had no problem tonight getting mom to brush her teeth or change into her nightgown. Tonight I didn’t even have to explain what to do when mom changed into the nightgown. I also did not even try to get her to take the pants off. Overall today was a good day for mom.
Thursday March 3rd 2011
Mom had a number 2 bowel accident overnight. Mom was up at 6am for a little while after she had her bowel accident. Mom got back up in time to have breakfast with me before I left and of course she went back to bed after breakfast. She slept most of the time Andrea was here but was up eating lunch when I got back at 1:30pm so we had lunch together as well. She was quiet during both breakfast and lunch but happy. Mom and I took a drive after her short nap. During our drive she was a little more talkative. It was a partly cloudy day but temps around 60. I decided to take mom out for dinner tonight to a Mexican restaurant we like for taco salads and ice cream. The sun was out when we left for dinner and came back from dinner. I like eating early whenever we go out less people and we get served faster which is good with mom. With Alzheimer’s it’s best if they do not have to wait. During dinner mom talked about the cars going up and down the street outside the window which was great it was like entertainment for her. We where done eating by 4:45pm which is the last time mom had anything to drink or eat. We watched TV after we got back until about 9:30pm when I had mom go to bed. She was quiet during the evening but responsive when I talked to her and got her laughing. Tonight she went to the bathroom around 9:30 and since I was so tiered myself I didn’t want to wait until her next bathroom break it might have been a few hours like last night. That’s why I decided to get her ready then. I actually had a pretty easy time getting her to put the nightgown on and take off her pants. She fussed a little on taking the pants off but it wasn’t to bad. I did have to explain to her what to do to change.
Wednesday March 2nd 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Andrea had a hard time washing mom today it took her several times over 2 hours to get mom washed. Mom was even swinging arms or legs to try and push Andrea away. Mom had just gotten up when I left. Andrea said after mom got up she was calm the rest of the time but did sleep more today than yesterday. Mom was up eating lunch when I got back at 1:30pm. Mom then took a nap before we went for a drive to Sioux Passage Park. During the drive mom was quiet but did respond whenever I talked to her. We ate dinner after our drive in which mom read my card several times getting a kick out of it each time. We watched TV tonight and we both were quiet tonight but responsive. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 7pm and I finally got her to go to bed around midnight. I had to keep telling her it was time to go to bed and she needed to get out of the chair and go to the bathroom then bed. I lost count of how many times I did this before she finally got up but then she still didn’t want to go to bed I could feel myself getting madder from arguing with her. She finally wore out and went to the bathroom. I also had her fuss some on brushing her teeth and changing. Normally I wait till she goes to the bathroom and is out of her chair before having her get ready for bed. Tonight though she went to the bathroom around 8pm and still had not gone back by 11:30pm. So that’s why I tried getting her to get out of the chair instead of waiting till she went to the bathroom. Almost every time I have to get her to get out of her chair it leads to arguing. I prefer to get her in bed around 10 to 11 so I can have some time to myself before I head to bed. I also normally do this blog after she goes to bed or anything else I need to do.
Tuesday March 1st 2011
Mom did not have any bowel accidents overnight or today. Mom was up but not fully dressed when Andrea got here. She had her pants still on and her nightgown. Mom was fully dressed and finishing her pills when I got up this morning. Andrea said mom was up most of the time she was here. During this time mom was grumpy and wrestles. Mom took a short nap when I got home before we went for a drive to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area. It was a bright sunny day with temps in the 50’s a beautiful day for a drive. This is a little longer drive than to Sioux Passage Park but we had more time today and it was so warm and sunny. Mom did start to fall and basically caught herself enough that she mostly just sat down. This is when we stopped at the rest area for a bathroom break. She was fine and didn’t hurt herself but it was the first time she did this in a long time. During our drive mom was somewhat talkative when things catch her eye and was responsive when I talked to her but I could tell she was grumpy at times like when the sun got in her eyes. We watched some news after we got back before dinner. During dinner mom was quiet not really talking much tonight. The last time mom had anything to eat or drink was at 6:45pm and she went to bed around 10:30pm. This evening mom was quiet but I did get her laughing several times while we watched TV. I get her laughing mostly by acting silly. She did fuss tonight when it came to changing into her nightgown and out of her pants. She just doesn’t understand the whole changing thing I know I’ve said this before but she really just doesn’t understand. Overall mom started out grumpy but ended on a happier note.
My journey with my mother through her Alzheimer's
