Speedy Deterioration

[Guest guest]

Hey all

it been a long while since i wrote , or even logged on into my email account.

i ve been crazy busy between work and trying to settle things down at home( ie

finding extra help, finding a local neurologist, physiotherapest... etc)

Ive managed to find a great physiotherapest that has been coming over 3 times

a week , he's had experience with people with alzheimers and he workd great

with my mother and shes very responsive and the most alert i see her all day

when shes doing her routine with him.

Other than that ,I was talking to my cousin on the phone and we were thinking

back as to how my moms deterioration has been speeding up. Is this normal ? i

mean just a month ago she used to go out walking and take cabs on her own.

Lately shes been in her own world , contstantly entertaining popele who don

exist at home. The music is on 24/ 7 and shes ALWAYS singing and dancing .

sometimes she'll even dress up. Shes always standing by the window and shouting

out all sorts of things ( luckily i havent heard any complaints from the

neighbours, eventhough we've always had differences with them). Yesterday was

the first time we were able to take her outside the house, although it was super

tough. We took her to my sisters house for lunch. My mom was screaming the

whole way and kept saying that she has so many " appointments " to attend to.

anyway once we got there , we put on some music , she danced and sang like she

does at home, she ate well then eventually became

restless and insisted that she wanted to go home.

Not only that , her behaviour is becoming alot like achild, she cannot take

showers on her own ( this development is very recent) yesterday i found out

that our housekeeper has been bathing her for the past week. It was so shocking

to see my mom sitting in thge bath tub , playing and splashing around for almost

an hour. Its so ironic because my mother was always a woman on the run ,

ultra quick morning showers and off to run errands back in time to cook lunch

for the whole house. Its also ironic in how she thinks shes always entertaining

people because thats alot like the social butterfly she use to be in the past ,

she was a great cook and we constantly had her friends and relatives over.

Unfortunately these days my moms friends dont call her anymore and the number of

relatibves we have locally- that care- are very few. In any case , she hardly

sits with anyone that comes to visit her , shell leave them sitting in the

living room and go inside her room and just

dance away to loud music.

I know the deterioration to be expected of LBD , Ive read so much about it,

but is it supposed to decline to quickly?

For the past month ive been experiencing one shock after the other in my

mothers condition , I just wish things could just stabalize so that I can have

some time to breath and get ready for the coming stages.... you know what i

mean??? any chance of that happenening? im taking my mom for some blood tests

and a urine test to get her checked out by her neurologist.

Well i better run now ,

just thought id give you all an update on my mom and me

Nina

Mother 61 with LBD - diagnosed last year (Sept 2006)

---------------------------------

Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows.

Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.

[Guest guest]

Hi Nina. Thanks for the update.

That's what we experienced with my mother - before we could even grasp

one symptom another would show up. That's why LBD is so different (and

sometimes more difficult) than ALZ. The rapidity of it.

It's probably not what you want to hear -- but I think it's great that

your mom is singing and dancing. Sometimes their reality is so much

better than our reality. I'd just go with it... I'd be dancing &

singing along with her! LOL

Have you considered getting companions to be her 'guests' -- to be part

of her reality?

You've found a wonderful housekeeper who cares enough to give your mom

a bath -- a keeper to say the least.

[Guest guest]

Hey

Thanks for your email , im definately holding on to the house keeper!! Ive

interviewed so many nurses but none of them would really click with my mom as

a companion- personality wise- but we're still searching , that is actually the

most difficult to find!

Nina

wrote:

Hi Nina. Thanks for the update.

That's what we experienced with my mother - before we could even grasp

one symptom another would show up. That's why LBD is so different (and

sometimes more difficult) than ALZ. The rapidity of it.

It's probably not what you want to hear -- but I think it's great that

your mom is singing and dancing. Sometimes their reality is so much

better than our reality. I'd just go with it... I'd be dancing &

singing along with her! LOL

Have you considered getting companions to be her 'guests' -- to be part

of her reality?

You've found a wonderful housekeeper who cares enough to give your mom

a bath -- a keeper to say the least.

Welcome to LBDcaregivers.

[Guest guest]

Nina,

I don't happen to believe it is good for your Mom to just be home alone. When I

had Mom and she got like that is when I put her in day care. It gave her

somewhere to go and be with people who were " like " her. Once she started going,

( and I bet you could make it one of her " appointments " ) you might find more

time and more hands to help. They do the singing and tossing the ball and lots

of things to stimulate their minds.

That would solve your problem of no time and also give her some things to do to

structure her time and be with people. And I do know how all those " friends "

disappear.

Hope you would give this some thought.

Hugs,

Donna R

Caregave for Mom (after I brought her from WI to MI) for 3 years and 4th year in

a nh.

She was almost 89 when she died in '02. No dx other than mine.

Speedy Deterioration

Hey all

it been a long while since i wrote , or even logged on into my email account.

i ve been crazy busy between work and trying to settle things down at home( ie

finding extra help, finding a local neurologist, physiotherapest... etc)

Ive managed to find a great physiotherapest that has been coming over 3 times

a week , he's had experience with people with alzheimers and he workd great

with my mother and shes very responsive and the most alert i see her all day

when shes doing her routine with him.

Other than that ,I was talking to my cousin on the phone and we were thinking

back as to how my moms deterioration has been speeding up. Is this normal ? i

mean just a month ago she used to go out walking and take cabs on her own.

Lately shes been in her own world , contstantly entertaining popele who don

exist at home. The music is on 24/ 7 and shes ALWAYS singing and dancing .

sometimes she'll even dress up. Shes always standing by the window and shouting

out all sorts of things ( luckily i havent heard any complaints from the

neighbours, eventhough we've always had differences with them). Yesterday was

the first time we were able to take her outside the house, although it was super

tough. We took her to my sisters house for lunch. My mom was screaming the

whole way and kept saying that she has so many " appointments " to attend to.

anyway once we got there , we put on some music , she danced and sang like she

does at home, she ate well then eventually became

restless and insisted that she wanted to go home.

Not only that , her behaviour is becoming alot like achild, she cannot take

showers on her own ( this development is very recent) yesterday i found out

that our housekeeper has been bathing her for the past week. It was so shocking

to see my mom sitting in thge bath tub , playing and splashing around for almost

an hour. Its so ironic because my mother was always a woman on the run ,

ultra quick morning showers and off to run errands back in time to cook lunch

for the whole house. Its also ironic in how she thinks shes always entertaining

people because thats alot like the social butterfly she use to be in the past ,

she was a great cook and we constantly had her friends and relatives over.

Unfortunately these days my moms friends dont call her anymore and the number of

relatibves we have locally- that care- are very few. In any case , she hardly

sits with anyone that comes to visit her , shell leave them sitting in the

living room and go inside her room and just

dance away to loud music.

I know the deterioration to be expected of LBD , Ive read so much about it,

but is it supposed to decline to quickly?

For the past month ive been experiencing one shock after the other in my

mothers condition , I just wish things could just stabalize so that I can have

some time to breath and get ready for the coming stages.... you know what i

mean??? any chance of that happenening? im taking my mom for some blood tests

and a urine test to get her checked out by her neurologist.

Well i better run now ,

just thought id give you all an update on my mom and me

Nina

Mother 61 with LBD - diagnosed last year (Sept 2006)

---------------------------------

Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows.

Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.

[Guest guest]

nina,

first i am glad that your mom is happy and dancing and singing. that is

wonderful, as when my dad deteriorated quickly he became more aggressive

verbally and emotionally to me.

my dads progreesion of the disease slowed on exelon but after he had his hip

surgery his decline was very very fast. please enjoy the singing and dancing,

she is happy even if it iin her own litle world and as for bathing, you may

want to cut down her bahts to every few days, unless she really needs a bath why

give her one. until dad was messing on himself hospice would only come 2 times

a week to bathe him but after he lost contorl of bowels and bladder it was then

a daily thingl

and all of dads friends disappeared when we moved down, it was like they didnt

care anymore, fortuantly my best friend jennie cared adn came to visit dady and

when i needed a break came and took care of daddy, she lost her dad 3 years

before and she would say he was her adoped dad. it was great.

hugs, sharon

---- Nina Jordan wrote:

Hey all

it been a long while since i wrote , or even logged on into my email account.

i ve been crazy busy between work and trying to settle things down at home( ie

finding extra help, finding a local neurologist, physiotherapest... etc)

Ive managed to find a great physiotherapest that has been coming over 3 times

a week , he's had experience with people with alzheimers and he workd great

with my mother and shes very responsive and the most alert i see her all day

when shes doing her routine with him.

Other than that ,I was talking to my cousin on the phone and we were thinking

back as to how my moms deterioration has been speeding up. Is this normal ? i

mean just a month ago she used to go out walking and take cabs on her own.

Lately shes been in her own world , contstantly entertaining popele who don

exist at home. The music is on 24/ 7 and shes ALWAYS singing and dancing .

sometimes she'll even dress up. Shes always standing by the window and shouting

out all sorts of things ( luckily i havent heard any complaints from the

neighbours, eventhough we've always had differences with them). Yesterday was

the first time we were able to take her outside the house, although it was super

tough. We took her to my sisters house for lunch. My mom was screaming the

whole way and kept saying that she has so many " appointments " to attend to.

anyway once we got there , we put on some music , she danced and sang like she

does at home, she ate well then eventually became

restless and insisted that she wanted to go home.

Not only that , her behaviour is becoming alot like achild, she cannot take

showers on her own ( this development is very recent) yesterday i found out

that our housekeeper has been bathing her for the past week. It was so shocking

to see my mom sitting in thge bath tub , playing and splashing around for almost

an hour. Its so ironic because my mother was always a woman on the run ,

ultra quick morning showers and off to run errands back in time to cook lunch

for the whole house. Its also ironic in how she thinks shes always entertaining

people because thats alot like the social butterfly she use to be in the past ,

she was a great cook and we constantly had her friends and relatives over.

Unfortunately these days my moms friends dont call her anymore and the number of

relatibves we have locally- that care- are very few. In any case , she hardly

sits with anyone that comes to visit her , shell leave them sitting in the

living room and go inside her room and just

dance away to loud music.

I know the deterioration to be expected of LBD , Ive read so much about it,

but is it supposed to decline to quickly?

For the past month ive been experiencing one shock after the other in my

mothers condition , I just wish things could just stabalize so that I can have

some time to breath and get ready for the coming stages.... you know what i

mean??? any chance of that happenening? im taking my mom for some blood tests

and a urine test to get her checked out by her neurologist.

Well i better run now ,

just thought id give you all an update on my mom and me

Nina

Mother 61 with LBD - diagnosed last year (Sept 2006)

---------------------------------

Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows.

Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.

[Guest guest]

Thanks and Sharon

I think the closest Alzeimers Association to me would be the one in Lebanon.

Do you think they are worth contacting even if they're not available locally?

Today I was going to have the lab come over and have my mom do blood and

urine tests but she resisted today and she got really furious , although

yesterday she was ok with it. Is there a certain way of going arouns this

besides getting the lab to come over so that my mom can do it at the comfort of

her own home?

Sharon , rigth now im sort of appreciating the fact that shes been in a good

mood in her own little world , especially when she was very agressive towards me

and the whole family for a whole month last month .

I think one of the most difficult things about LBD is waking up everyday not

knowing what to expect from you LO, atleast thats how things have been on my

side with my mom , everyday .... theres no stability at all.

Nina

wrote:

I think you told us that and I had forgotten. Do you have an

Alzheimers Association there?

Nina

Here's a page that lists the international Alz. Assoc. -- any of them

near you? or at least they can direct you to help in your area?

http://www.alz.co.uk/help/associations.html

http://www.alz.co.uk/

Welcome to LBDcaregivers.

[Guest guest]

<snip> I think the closest Alzeimers Association to me would be the one

in Lebanon. Do you think they are worth contacting even if they're not

available locally? <snip>

I think so -- they may know of specialists in your area that can help

you, if nothing else they may have some suggestions for you.

<snip> Today I was going to have the lab come over and have my mom do

blood and urine tests but she resisted today and she got really

furious , although yesterday she was ok with it. Is there a certain

way of going arouns this besides getting the lab to come over so that

my mom can do it at the comfort of her own home? <snip>

talked about working with the lab -- their providing you with what

you need to get samples and then your taking them to the lab. That

might work - read here:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/LBDcaregivers/message/61569

[Guest guest]

Nina,

for the labs, if you are talking about urine tests you can get teh cups and

wipes to clean her before catching her pee, does seh still go to teh abathroom

if so the lab adn give you a hat, it fit between teh toilet and the toilet

seat, it catches urine and then you can pour to fill up your collection cup.

if she doesnt, that might be a problem unless you can time it for when she is

peeing as you dont want anything form contaminated diapers or depends. then they

would want to cathetize her, caths are difficult for the patient, it is very

uncomfortable even hurts and for someone with dementia issues very scary and

makes it worse. please let me know some answers and we can see if between teh

group we can come up with plan a or b for you, good luck and hugs, sharon

---- Nina Jordan wrote:

Thanks and Sharon

I think the closest Alzeimers Association to me would be the one in Lebanon.

Do you think they are worth contacting even if they're not available locally?

Today I was going to have the lab come over and have my mom do blood and

urine tests but she resisted today and she got really furious , although

yesterday she was ok with it. Is there a certain way of going arouns this

besides getting the lab to come over so that my mom can do it at the comfort of

her own home?

Sharon , rigth now im sort of appreciating the fact that shes been in a good

mood in her own little world , especially when she was very agressive towards me

and the whole family for a whole month last month .

I think one of the most difficult things about LBD is waking up everyday not

knowing what to expect from you LO, atleast thats how things have been on my

side with my mom , everyday .... theres no stability at all.

Nina

wrote:

I think you told us that and I had forgotten. Do you have an

Alzheimers Association there?

Nina

Here's a page that lists the international Alz. Assoc. -- any of them

near you? or at least they can direct you to help in your area?

http://www.alz.co.uk/help/associations.html

http://www.alz.co.uk/

Welcome to LBDcaregivers.