Oh, twitter. No, I do not want to follow Scott Baio.
I'm feeling very removed from the things happening in the news. I'm having trouble working meals into my work schedule, much less keeping up with the news. I keep stealing glances at FB links in a valiant attempt though.
My dad may be dealing with putting his younger brother into assisted living soon. He doesn't have dementia, but has been in the hospital for two weeks with complications from congestive heart failure and diabetes. His organs were starting to fail when he was admitted. He's lost 50 lbs in water weight since then. My dad says he doesn't seem to realize how fragile his health is right now.
msbelle, I'd guessed mac's high dudgeon was from hoping for a golden ticket out, sorry it proved true. At least he got a walk?
I worry about dementia with my dad; he already started from a pretty absentminded place. And he's stubborn as fuck. Mom, she's starting to have memory issues, but she's fully aware of them and has put it out there. It naturally freaks her the fuck out, but there's no inclination to try to disguise it. She finds sometimes she can't remember where a place, like a restaurant, is, but if she just lets go of the panic, she can get there. Like muscle memory or something. But she's thinking of getting a gps device to help assuage the panic. And program in things like home in case she totally freaks out and needs help from someone else. She's totally proactive.
The attorney told us that some assisted living places have memory...programs, I guess? I'm not sure how to describe it. Specific therapy/treatment for patients with memory issues. Though she said that the problem is that there are no actual standards set at this point for such programs, so it's hard to say whether they'd be helpful.
The attorney told us that some assisted living places have memory...programs, I guess? I'm not sure how to describe it. Specific therapy/treatment for patients with memory issues. Though she said that the problem is that there are no actual standards set at this point for such programs, so it's hard to say whether they'd be helpful.
Yup. My dad's in memory care, which means, so far as I can tell: the floor is locked, so he can't get out (although he got out on Friday and went out for a burger and a cup of coffee, so it's clearly not foolproof); they have staff trained to deal with the demented; staff provide daily living support like showers and dressing and so forth; they have daily activities programs for the demented like visiting musicians, movies, etc.
It's not exactly what I would have hoped for, but it's better than it could have been. Dad is pretty high-functioning, and as a result he finds many of the activities kind of dull/simple. And he dislikes the restrictions, although since he's a nice guy, he doesn't make too much of a fuss.
I do recommend the Alzheimer's Reading Room for anyone with demented family: [link]
There's a lot of good, supportive information there.
And I'm really glad you folks went to see a lawyer, Steph. That's enormously helpful, despite the hassle factor.
I'm just crossing my fingers about my parents. Dad's memory has been about a step above anterograde amnesia since his brain surgery decades ago, but other than that all is well with his mental functioning. I don't know of anyone in his family ever suffering from dementia—except for Grandma they haven't tended to live to advanced ages and now he's on the verge of catching up to her. We're kind of in unexplored territory with him.
Mom's family has a strong history of living to extreme old age and remaining active and of sound mind right up to the end. They may be physically frail the last couple of decades, but most of them keep running like the Energizer Bunny.
Timelies all!
Home with the little guy again today. Still had a slight fever as of yesterday afternoon, so he can't go back to daycare until it's been gone 24 hours. So I have to deal with Mr. Grabby Boy.(All the toys around here, and he wants my mouse? Not to mention all the papers.)
Poor little guy! And that's an annoying rule.
Thanks! I have to work (I always think a person's birthday should be an automatic day off [except, I guess, for people who really love to work]), but I am still in my jammies and might stay in them all day.
