Authored by BlueAngel on
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Elder Care Tips: Mastering The Eldercare Maze(TM)
This newsletter (for February 1st 2005) is about "Dementia" with examples of how it effects the elderly person(s) you love and how to meet the problem without too much trauma for yourself and your loved one(s). There are quite a few good ones!
That Horrid Woman Stole My Teeth: Paranoia and Dementia
As a rank beginner in the field of eldercare I was excited to finally be turned loose to make my first independent home visit. It went well, I thought, until I returned to the office. At the door I was met by my supervisor. She informed me that she had just logged an official complaint from the client I had left not 20 minutes earlier: The client's teeth were missing. The teeth were there before I arrived, and they were now missing. The conclusion was obvious.
I was devastated. Later the dentures were found by the client's daughter, wrapped in a napkin and stuffed in the toe of a slipper. Everyone had a good laugh, but I'll never forget the feeling of shock and indignation I felt at being unjustly accused. Lucky for me it was teeth (who would want those?) and not an expensive piece of jewelry that went temporarily missing.
People who have Alzheimer's or other dementing illnesses must struggle with their personal reality that every moment is a new moment. There is often no memory of the moment that went before. Things inexplicably disappear when you have no memory of having moved them. When your things are constantly disappearing, the "logical" solution is to hide them in a safe place where no one will find them. And then they are lost again.
When your memory perversely retains the information that something is scheduled, but you can't remember whether this is the time or the day, you will ask someone. And ask, and ask, because you can't remember that you already asked or what the answer was.
Just try to imagine how frustrating and frightening it must be to live in this confusing world where things disappear, someone else is in control of your money, conversations often don't make sense, or your brain doesn't recognize the home where you've lived for many years. Is it any wonder that suspicions and "paranoia" often accompany dementia?
Things That May Help:
Don't Argue - Arguing with a perceived "fact" may increase agitation and anger, and may lead to a catastrophic reaction. Instead, acknowledge the feeling: "I know it's frightening when you can't find your _______. I'll help you look for it."
Make a List of Favorite Hiding Places - Never throw out the trash without first checking for hidden items.
Try Distraction - A new activity in a different room may divert attention from the anxiety of the moment. This rarely works if emotions have escalated, however.
Keep Spares - If certain items are disappearing time after time, keep extras on hand to use until you find the "lost" item. Buy in pairs or even triples if possible.
Try to Keep Caregivers Consistent - New faces may be targets for suspicion because the explanation of who they are and why they are there is forgotten.
Avoid Unnecessarily Announcing Appointments or Events - If your elder worries excessively about missing an appointment, wait until it's time to get ready to go.
Reduce or Eliminate Clutter - Remove excess items from closets, cupboards and drawers. "Lost" items stashed in a shoe are easier to find if their are only two pair to check.
Remove or Lock Up Valuables - This will protect aides and family members from suspicion.
Advise Family Members and Home Workers About Typical Behaviors - Let them know that they may be accused and that they should not take accusations personally.
Schedule a Medical Check-Up - Rule out other medical and psychiatric problems or the possible side-effects of medications already prescribed. In some cases where paranoid behavior is causing major problems additional drug treatment may be appropriate.
Listen Carefully - If your elder with dementia has a new behavior or a new concern, listen. Sometimes things really are stolen. Sometimes abuse is real.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it happened or not.
Mark Twain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another Way To Check Medication Safety
With the rash of recent headlines concerning drugs being pulled off the shelves, patients are looking for additional sources to check on the safety of their medications. PhRMA, the pharmaceutical-industry trade group, has made the results of clinical studies from the last two years available to both patients and doctors at http://www.clinicalstudyresults.org The purpose of the database is to make clinical trial results for U.S.-marketed pharmaceuticals more transparent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Pick From The Library
For those of you who want to know even more more about the medications you and your elders are taking, I can heartily recommend "The Pill Book."
I use my copy so often that the cover is falling off - guess I'll have to spring for a new one soon. At less than $7 and more than 1200 pages covering 1800 drugs, and with color photographs of the most widely prescribed, it's a steal. You can read about it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553584790/theeldercar09-2
or Barnes & Noble:
http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=2181&sourceid=41175206&bfpid=0553584790
Full disclosure: If you order through either of the above I make a miniscule commission of about 35 cents. This helps cover the costs of providing Elder CareTips™ and this website.
If you prefer to go directly to the online bookstores, use the Search function to find and order "The Pill Book."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elder CareTip
Store similarly shaped containers with different types of products in separate locations. For instance, hair sprays and bug killers both come in similar aerosol containers. Both are often used in the bathroom. It would be easy for someone with poor vision or dementia to pick up the wrong container.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Theodore Roosevelt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have a caregiving question please send it along . If you have a question, there are probably lots of people who have the same question who
haven't asked. If I don't know the answer I'll do my best to find someone who does.
This way, we'll all learn together.
And don't keep us a secret. If you know other people who should be reading this too, then do them and us a favor by telling them about Elder CareTips™. Just send them this link: http://eldercareteam.com/resources/newsletter.htmWe have an ever-growing collection of articles on the subject of caring for older adults. Some have appeared in this newsletter, some haven't.
Browse around as much as you'd like.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's it for this time,
Molly
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2005 Molly Shomer, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from Elder CareTips: Mastering The Eldercare Maze™ as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link and email link. I would appreciate it if you would let me know where the material will appear.
To subscribe, send a blank email to
eldermatters@aweber.com
Molly Shomer
Head Coach
The Eldercare Team
http://www.eldercareteam.com
mshomer@eldercareteam.com
Box 700291
Dallas, TX 75370
(972) 395-7823
The Eldercare Team
SeniorLink, LLC
P.O. Box 700291
Dallas, Texas 75370
Phone (972) 395-7823 Fax (972) 395-7164
email: info@eldercareteam.com
©2005
Read Comments »