Guest guest Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Without telling my Mom, I put in a baby monitor so I could hear her. It didn't save me much sleep as she was awake every other night. And I didn't have meds she could use to sleep. Most meds didn't work with her and/or made it to difficult to live with her. This was in 2000 before we had much info on what to use. The other option is to find someone to be with him at night while you sleep. I put Mom in day care and slept during the day when I could. She didn't want to go, but eventually she enjoyed going. If you are going to be a caregiver with LBD, you may want to think of what you are going to do, because sleep isn't one of the most available things to do. LOL Hugs, Donna R Cared for Mom 3 years in my home and the last year at a nh. She passed away from LBD in 2002. beds I am relatively new on this list. My husband Trevor was diagnosed in September of this year. Could I ask you, which you would prefer/find best to do of these 2 options? 1. Sleep in same room with twin beds, and put up with any disturbances or 2. Sleep in separate rooms and worry in case you do not hear him should he need you? Trevor is not very far along the Lewy road as yet, but I am thinking of the future as well, with possible incontinence problems. At present we have option 2, and we have both said we sleep better apart. We were sharing a queen sized bed but he jumps and twitches so much in his sleep he kept me awake, and I am not very nice when sleep deprived!! Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Hello, Margaret. Welcome to the site. Like you I faced the question of whether to sleep in the same room with twin beds or to move into a different bedroom. I finally chose to move into a different bedroom because his well being depends on MY well being. He could not live outside a nursing home if it weren't for me. I need to stay healthy because I deserve it and because, ultimately, he is better off with a rested me (the tired me can be more than a little testy). I, too, got all that crapola about hiring someone to babysit through the night. The cost would be enormous and it wasn't an option for us. I don't think it would be an option for most folks. If you use a caregiver service, the cost would be upwards of $20 an hour. If you hire on your own, you need to have more than one sitter on tap because you are talking about 365 days a year....and if you hire, you run the risk of having to pay social security taxes, etc. because you become an employer. You can have them sign an 'independent contractor' statement, but that may not stand up with the IRS. Looking at everything, we finally opted for separate rooms, and I generally hear him if he gets out of bed. It's like I heard my son when he was a baby. I just was atuned to him. Hope this has helped. Smiles, Nan > > I am relatively new on this list. My husband Trevor was diagnosed in September of this year. > > Could I ask you, which you would prefer/find best to do of these 2 options? > > 1. Sleep in same room with twin beds, and put up with any disturbances > > or > 2. Sleep in separate rooms and worry in case you do not hear him should he need you? > > Trevor is not very far along the Lewy road as yet, but I am thinking of the future as well, with possible incontinence problems. At present we have option 2, and we have both said we sleep better apart. We were sharing a queen sized bed but he jumps and twitches so much in his sleep he kept me awake, and I am not very nice when sleep deprived!! > Margaret > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 if he is aggressive sleep in another room you can buy a baby montior and hear him should he need you and yet you can get some secure rest,  my daddy slept in his own room eventually ina hospital bed with sides up on it, preventing him from getting up and trying to go anywhere by himself.  good luck and hugs. sharon Subject: beds To: LBDcaregivers Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 4:34 AM  I am relatively new on this list. My husband Trevor was diagnosed in September of this year. Could I ask you, which you would prefer/find best to do of these 2 options? 1. Sleep in same room with twin beds, and put up with any disturbances or 2. Sleep in separate rooms and worry in case you do not hear him should he need you? Trevor is not very far along the Lewy road as yet, but I am thinking of the future as well, with possible incontinence problems. At present we have option 2, and we have both said we sleep better apart. We were sharing a queen sized bed but he jumps and twitches so much in his sleep he kept me awake, and I am not very nice when sleep deprived!! Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 28, 2010 Report Share Posted November 28, 2010 Margaret: As Ray's LBD progressed, we switched from a full sized double bed to two twins in the same room. If I had another downstairs room to use, I might have tried it. But I was awake off and on all night even in the twin beds. I worried every time I heard him move what he was going to do. I ended up taking 2 tylenol pm every night so I could go back to sleep if I was awakened. I did not get great rest but at least it was better. I wouldn't have dared leave him alone in the room as you never knew what he might do. There are door alarms and gadgets you can get to help as well as the baby monitors which work pretty good. Often I would go out on the couch and keep track that way. Good luck, these are tough times but find the strength to hang in there. We are all with you!! Leona Leona: Caregiver for husband Ray, age 68, diagnosed 2/04 with Parkinson's Disease. Changed doctors, diagnosed 6/06 with LBD. Almost continual downhill slide no matter what drugs we try. 5/2/08 Ray was placed in Sunrise Nursing Home in Oswego, NY, 1 hour from home. So far, so good! Hardest thing I have ever done in my life, however. 3/19/09 transferred to Samaritan Keep NH in Watertown, NY closer to home. He passed peacefully at 5:18 am on April 14, 2009. I am handling it OK. 'Love is not finding someone to live with; it's finding someone you don't want to live without.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 28, 2010 Report Share Posted November 28, 2010 I would like to say that when I got the baby monitor for Mom, I didnt' tell her it was a 'baby' monitor. I just told her that I was going to be in the other room and then if she woke up and needed me that I could hear her. She seemed almost relieved. Our loved ones are living in a very scary world most of the time and they need the reassurance that someone they love is near and can help them if they need it. > > Without telling my Mom, I put in a baby monitor so I could hear her. It didn't save me much sleep as she was awake every other night. And I didn't have meds she could use to sleep. Most meds didn't work with her and/or made it to difficult to live with her. > > This was in 2000 before we had much info on what to use. The other option is to find someone to be with him at night while you sleep. I put Mom in day care and slept during the day when I could. She didn't want to go, but eventually she enjoyed going. > > If you are going to be a caregiver with LBD, you may want to think of what you are going to do, because sleep isn't one of the most available things to do. LOL > > Hugs, > > Donna R > > Cared for Mom 3 years in my home and the last year at a nh. She passed away from LBD in 2002. > > > beds > > I am relatively new on this list. My husband Trevor was diagnosed in September of this year. > > Could I ask you, which you would prefer/find best to do of these 2 options? > > 1. Sleep in same room with twin beds, and put up with any disturbances > > or > 2. Sleep in separate rooms and worry in case you do not hear him should he need you? > > Trevor is not very far along the Lewy road as yet, but I am thinking of the future as well, with possible incontinence problems. At present we have option 2, and we have both said we sleep better apart. We were sharing a queen sized bed but he jumps and twitches so much in his sleep he kept me awake, and I am not very nice when sleep deprived!! > Margaret > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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