Re: Voice recordings?

March 16, 2005

Hi KD,

I am glad that you asked that about voice recordings. I've been

thinking about doing the same thing for my FIL. When we stayed

overnight in the hospital to keep the nurses from giving him more meds

like Haldol and Ativan, I tried first singing and then reading to him

to calm his agitation. Reading worked the best. His entire body

relaxed when I read to him from the newspaper.

I had suggested reading to him to my MIL after he got home. She took a

different direction and bought a sound machine for him. But I don't

think she's tried it unfortunately.

He hasn't been officially diagnosed with LBD yet but all of his

symptoms are consistent with LBD. I am working from afar trying to

communicate with his doctors about his diagnosis. It's frustrating.

I think your idea of a recording is a good one.

Ginny

>

> Hi all:

>

> Hope all is well in your Lewy worlds...

>

> Things are going OK with Dad lately. His Seroquel was increased a

> month or two ago, and that does help with his delusions - they don't

> happen as often, and don't last as long when they do.

>

> When the delusions do happen, it seems that my talking to him is

> something that *nearly* always helps. Used to ALWAYS help, but I

> guess the disease is progressing.

>

> I'm thinking of doing some recordings for him...reading an article

> from Readers Digest, some jokes, whatever, and when he's starting to

> flip out and I'm not available, his wife can put on one of these

> CDs.

>

> I happened to find a $2 microphone for my computer in the markdown

> bin at the grocery store a couple weeks ago, (packaging was open,

> but it all still works) so I'm ready to give it a go, just have to

> find some good material.

>

> Anyone ever tried this? Surely I'm not the only one whose voice can

> be a 'magic bullet' for their LO - this could be extremely helpful

> for people who don't live very close to their LO.

>

> Hang in there everyone...

>

> KD

>

> Do not look to your past as an anchor that is dragging behind you

> and holding you back. Your past is the rudder, guiding you forward.

March 17, 2005

GREAT IDEA, KATIE, TO TAPE YOUR VOICE WITH READINGS. CAROL B.

Voice recordings?

Hi all:

Hope all is well in your Lewy worlds...

Things are going OK with Dad lately. His Seroquel was increased a

month or two ago, and that does help with his delusions - they don't

happen as often, and don't last as long when they do.

When the delusions do happen, it seems that my talking to him is

something that *nearly* always helps. Used to ALWAYS help, but I

guess the disease is progressing.

I'm thinking of doing some recordings for him...reading an article

from Readers Digest, some jokes, whatever, and when he's starting to

flip out and I'm not available, his wife can put on one of these

CDs.

I happened to find a $2 microphone for my computer in the markdown

bin at the grocery store a couple weeks ago, (packaging was open,

but it all still works) so I'm ready to give it a go, just have to

find some good material.

Anyone ever tried this? Surely I'm not the only one whose voice can

be a 'magic bullet' for their LO - this could be extremely helpful

for people who don't live very close to their LO.

Hang in there everyone...

KD

Do not look to your past as an anchor that is dragging behind you

and holding you back. Your past is the rudder, guiding you forward.

Welcome to LBDcaregivers.

March 18, 2005

Howdy,

I don't get to write on here much, but I have been readind everyone's

messages.

The recordings are a good idea. I do it for my dad. We even did a

video of my kids (they made several little plays). He can stick the

video in the VCR and play it when he wants. I think he has watched it

several times and really enjoys it each time.

The doctors told me that other helpful ideas are going to the library

and getting books that are on tape (these do not cost anything), rent

movies from video stores (buying them is better, that way he can watch

them at his leasure and not have to rush to take them back), and we

got him a CD player that plays more than one disc. These ideas have

help my dad out a lot when I can not get there right away. I am his

primary cargiver.

When my daughter is taking care of my dad too and she has problems

with him sometimes and me just talking to him on the phone seems to

quite him. But when he talks to my sisters or my brother (they all

live very far away) it does no good. I mentioned this to his " head

shrinker " as he calls him and he said that is because my dad trusts me

more and I must have a better repore with him than the others. I also

seem to have a way of getting around his concern (via changing the

subject kinda) that works for him. Happy thoughts from the past work.

Patients with LBD seem to pick a person that they trust more according

to our doctors.

My dad's 88th birthday is next month and we are planning a small

birthday party for him. He now talks about nothing else. This seems to

give him something to look forward to. We have been having family

dinners at his house twice a month and he looks forward to those too.

I think these things give him something to concentrate on and help his

brain cells not flicker out so fast. Our only drawback is that he

wants to go out of town to visit relatives and all 4 doctors say that

this is a very bad idea. Around town is fine, but going out of town or

a MAJOR change would be too much on him and mentally we would not get

him back at all if we did. Does anyone else's doctors have this concern?

Take care

Charlotte

>