As I have mentioned with George, at the present he has retained a lot of memory. Last night a builder was in to see about the place where we live in relation to the repairs that have to be done. He was asking if I would get an accommodation allowance but we won't get that and also he asked about a container for the contents which I will also have to pay for. Poor George obviously understood some of what was being discussed and afterwards asked me if it would help if he went and lived in our munted house!! I felt dreadful, he does try so hard to help and although it is not an easy situation to be in 'thems the breaks'.
I told him not to worry about it as nothing will be happening for ages however it must have been on his mind as he did not sleep well.
this morning he looked awful when he got up and was really 'out of it'. I gave him breakfast in 3 stages (as I usually do) fresh fruit, rice bubbles followed by toast. He was still restless and not really knowing what was going on. The caregiver found the same. For example while he was shaving he took his new razor to pieces, took me ages to get it back together again!!
Then we had Harakeke and I had to visit mum - got the washing on before we left and got it out the minute I got home. He was fine when he got to Harakeke and sat with some other old men and chatted away. He really loves socially mixing with the others.
Really you can't worry about other things I have found, just concentrate on each day as it comes.
Showing posts with label day club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label day club. Show all posts
Monday, October 20, 2014
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Didn't work
My great idea with the feet at the toilet didn't work!! I do try so hard to be patient but...
I had to sit George down and go over some new rules about using the toilet!
These rules have made a difference so far (fingers crossed)
He does love going to Harakeke club where he is interacting with others who face the same problems as he does. They play games such as quoits which he enjoys. These are wonderful for those with Alzheimer's although some do not fit in.
I had to sit George down and go over some new rules about using the toilet!
- He does not take his pants off unless he is in the toilet
- He sits down to use the toilet
These rules have made a difference so far (fingers crossed)
He does love going to Harakeke club where he is interacting with others who face the same problems as he does. They play games such as quoits which he enjoys. These are wonderful for those with Alzheimer's although some do not fit in.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Club
Went to pick George up from his club and was told that he was outside doing gardening! Fascinated, as George has never done gardening, I was envisaging George being able to help at home. I went outside to find George pressing weeds down in the bin: this was his gardening.
On the way home I asked him what he had had for lunch; a small pie and some grass...
It is very interesting as George's progression is so similar to Mum's. The minute he gets in the car I have to give him a jar of pepper mints to suck on. They seem to keep him occupied and happy as they did with Mum.
On the way home I asked him what he had had for lunch; a small pie and some grass...
It is very interesting as George's progression is so similar to Mum's. The minute he gets in the car I have to give him a jar of pepper mints to suck on. They seem to keep him occupied and happy as they did with Mum.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Made it
I did make it to the prison in time and so have been inducted to be a volunteer out there which was a relief.
George went to Brighton on his own yesterday and safely got there and back using the right bus stops so that was a relief too. He likes to be able to do this and I don't want to have to stop him just yet.
Today at his club I found out that another man he has made a close friend of has now gone into permanent care which George will find sad. I am not telling him as the two of them have been gravitating to each other for some time and look for each other. His wife is applying for a Government subsidy but if she does not qualify for it she will need to bring him home. They set up family trusts some years ago and she is hoping that she has it right. I will be interested in how she gets on. We will never qualify which is a worry as the partner still has to live and pay their own bills. What you are left with is very little. You can have:
a house
a car
up to 115000 in investments or in the bank
Not a lot when you consider that as well as the fees for the home there are a lot of extras that they need. It costs me quite a lot each month for mum. In addition you have the running of your own home and car as well as a standard of living. On this there is not a lot for any luxuries and certainly travel would be out of the agenda.
Of course this is what a couple can have left. For a single person it is minus the house and car. We are very lucky that Mum was living in her flat as had she still been in her original home everything would have had to be sold and then the money used for her care which of course would mean that the capital would rapidly deplete.
George went to Brighton on his own yesterday and safely got there and back using the right bus stops so that was a relief too. He likes to be able to do this and I don't want to have to stop him just yet.
Today at his club I found out that another man he has made a close friend of has now gone into permanent care which George will find sad. I am not telling him as the two of them have been gravitating to each other for some time and look for each other. His wife is applying for a Government subsidy but if she does not qualify for it she will need to bring him home. They set up family trusts some years ago and she is hoping that she has it right. I will be interested in how she gets on. We will never qualify which is a worry as the partner still has to live and pay their own bills. What you are left with is very little. You can have:
a house
a car
up to 115000 in investments or in the bank
Not a lot when you consider that as well as the fees for the home there are a lot of extras that they need. It costs me quite a lot each month for mum. In addition you have the running of your own home and car as well as a standard of living. On this there is not a lot for any luxuries and certainly travel would be out of the agenda.
Of course this is what a couple can have left. For a single person it is minus the house and car. We are very lucky that Mum was living in her flat as had she still been in her original home everything would have had to be sold and then the money used for her care which of course would mean that the capital would rapidly deplete.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Don't turn your back
I have to watch everything very carefully. George eats everything he can find. Today I was defrosting some shrimps for tea (luckily cooked). I was out in the garden, came in to find him eating his way through them!! This happens all the time. I find that I have to hide things more and more (he goes through all sorts of places however).
He loves his Harakeke club and looks forward to going each week which is great. By the time I take him there and pick him up it does not give me a lot of time for myself but every little is appreciated. I also go to visit mum while he is there.
He still drinks quite a bit and because he was told about 'red wine' he doesn't understand that that actually means all alcohol. He therefore thinks it is OK to drink any other alcohol. He generally drinks about a bottle of white wine a day or 2 or three premixed gin and tonics.
He loves his Harakeke club and looks forward to going each week which is great. By the time I take him there and pick him up it does not give me a lot of time for myself but every little is appreciated. I also go to visit mum while he is there.
He still drinks quite a bit and because he was told about 'red wine' he doesn't understand that that actually means all alcohol. He therefore thinks it is OK to drink any other alcohol. He generally drinks about a bottle of white wine a day or 2 or three premixed gin and tonics.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Opening packets
George went to his club yesterday and enjoyed himself so that is great.
Something he does is open every packet of whatever. I find all these packets of food open everywhere and only one or two things eaten. I have had to find containers to put the rest in so that they don't go off. He can't understand about eating one lot before opening the next.
He has brought down a collection of old hats from our house and always wears one when he goes out!! He also wears gloves no matter how hot the day is.
Something he does is open every packet of whatever. I find all these packets of food open everywhere and only one or two things eaten. I have had to find containers to put the rest in so that they don't go off. He can't understand about eating one lot before opening the next.
He has brought down a collection of old hats from our house and always wears one when he goes out!! He also wears gloves no matter how hot the day is.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Busy week
We have had a busy week and I have also been working a few hours each day. This can be difficult as George tends to get out a lot of things and then I have to put them away.
He took his new medal (that his son got him) to the Harakeke club to show the other people there. I am pleased to say that it came home again. A girl from the university is working with George as part of her university course and she is in the middle of making him a memories book so I am looking forward to seeing that when she is finished.
George has someone come to take him out for an outing each week. He loves doing that and this week they went to the museum and then for coffee. He loves going out for coffee and for meals. I also took him to a cafe for lunch - one of the Grab a Deal ones. It was very nice.
He does keep going up to our old house to get things (we are now in a small flat!!) which means that it is getting very crowded here. Also he has no idea of what is his and what is mine. Several times I have found him in my jerseys, and once he was trying to pull on some of my jeans!! All miles too small for him.
He took his new medal (that his son got him) to the Harakeke club to show the other people there. I am pleased to say that it came home again. A girl from the university is working with George as part of her university course and she is in the middle of making him a memories book so I am looking forward to seeing that when she is finished.
George has someone come to take him out for an outing each week. He loves doing that and this week they went to the museum and then for coffee. He loves going out for coffee and for meals. I also took him to a cafe for lunch - one of the Grab a Deal ones. It was very nice.
He does keep going up to our old house to get things (we are now in a small flat!!) which means that it is getting very crowded here. Also he has no idea of what is his and what is mine. Several times I have found him in my jerseys, and once he was trying to pull on some of my jeans!! All miles too small for him.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Communication
George has been asked to work with a student from the University of Canterbury. The students are in the middle of their Bachelor's degrees and as part of their course they have to work with a person with Alzheimer's. George still has great powers of discussion 'the gift of the gab' and loves nothing better than to 'chew the fat'. I will be very interested in how this goes.
I went to an Alzheimer's meeting today to give a talk about using respite care. I tended to focus on all the things I did not know when I went to use it hoping that it might help others when they go to use it.
This is an interesting presentation about Alzheimer's.
I went to an Alzheimer's meeting today to give a talk about using respite care. I tended to focus on all the things I did not know when I went to use it hoping that it might help others when they go to use it.
This is an interesting presentation about Alzheimer's.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Social time
George had a phone call from one of his sons, he loves hearing from any of them.
George went to Harakeke club yesterday. They spend a lot of time sitting around and socialising. He has found around four other men who he relates well to and they chat about all sorts of things.
While George was at the club I went to visit mum. She is loosing language and starting to make words up. This is something that is also happening to George and is not something that I had anticipated.
Mum is also having difficulty swollening pills (spits them out). She has a chest infection at the moment which doesn't help her at all. I chatted to her about my sister's visit but I am not sure if she remembered or not, as I have said before it is very much 'living in the moment'.
George went to Harakeke club yesterday. They spend a lot of time sitting around and socialising. He has found around four other men who he relates well to and they chat about all sorts of things.
While George was at the club I went to visit mum. She is loosing language and starting to make words up. This is something that is also happening to George and is not something that I had anticipated.
Mum is also having difficulty swollening pills (spits them out). She has a chest infection at the moment which doesn't help her at all. I chatted to her about my sister's visit but I am not sure if she remembered or not, as I have said before it is very much 'living in the moment'.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Harakeke club
This morning George woke up complaining of a sore stomach - he did this every time he was going to the Evergreen club so I was mildly suspicious that he didn't want to go to the Harakeke club today. I took him there (he wasn't too keen) and once we got through the door he made himself at home. The rooms are purpose build and are lovely. People were sitting around chatting and he quickly made friends with a group of men around the same age.
I left him there and went to the home to see mum. George and my brother-in-law had been to see her yesterday and she repeatedly told me about the two men who came yesterday (she remembered that happening) and how pleased they were to see her. She remembered having a joke with them and kept asking me their names although the names actually did not seem to mean anything to her. I took her in lemonade (which she had asked George for yesterday) and some cakes etc. She enjoyed them but is not eating as much as she has been; for example she would easily eat 6 lamingtons (halves) but today only had two and only had half a glass of lemonade. She is getting more confused although will still have moments where she says something very clearly and lucidly.
Yesterday she asked my brother-in-law who he was and he explained he was married to her middle daughter. In a loud voice mum said: Well good luck to you!!
Twice lately George has gone to the toilet on the floor in the bathroom instead of the toilet (at night). I have tried putting plastic/newspaper on the floor hoping the noise would alert him that he was in the wrong place but that does not seem to have worked. We are trying leaving the bathroom door shut and the toilet light on and see how that goes. If that doesn't work I will put a lock on the bathroom door.
I left him there and went to the home to see mum. George and my brother-in-law had been to see her yesterday and she repeatedly told me about the two men who came yesterday (she remembered that happening) and how pleased they were to see her. She remembered having a joke with them and kept asking me their names although the names actually did not seem to mean anything to her. I took her in lemonade (which she had asked George for yesterday) and some cakes etc. She enjoyed them but is not eating as much as she has been; for example she would easily eat 6 lamingtons (halves) but today only had two and only had half a glass of lemonade. She is getting more confused although will still have moments where she says something very clearly and lucidly.
Yesterday she asked my brother-in-law who he was and he explained he was married to her middle daughter. In a loud voice mum said: Well good luck to you!!
Twice lately George has gone to the toilet on the floor in the bathroom instead of the toilet (at night). I have tried putting plastic/newspaper on the floor hoping the noise would alert him that he was in the wrong place but that does not seem to have worked. We are trying leaving the bathroom door shut and the toilet light on and see how that goes. If that doesn't work I will put a lock on the bathroom door.
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