Here in NZ some services are offered to help caregivers to manage to enable people to stay in their own homes as long as possible as this will be where they are happiest. Unfortunately things are not always as good as they sound.
George is incontinent and therefore needs at least one shower a day. He is certainly unable to clean his nether regions! Last night someone rang to let me know that no one could help me this weekend at all. Weekends have only recently been added as I was dealing with the weekends. This gives me more to do and I worry a lot about anything going wrong. At least they rang as I have had plenty of instances where I have been expecting someone , waited patiently, finally rung - you have to leave a message - and heard nothing. After at least twos hours you can safely assume they are not coming! Makes it very difficult to make appointments or plans to do anything.
Showing posts with label dressing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dressing. Show all posts
Friday, January 16, 2015
Friday, December 12, 2014
Up and dressed
George woke up this morning and I quickly took him to the toilet and emptied the catheter. He is very confused so we went quickly to the lounge to have coffee, fresh fruit and cereal as getting some food into him often seems to help.
After breakfast I got a bucket with warm water to give him a wash and got him dressed. He now seems a bit happier. I have to go to Mum's home this morning so will talk to the caregivers and nurse there on things I need to do and things to watch for. At this time I am not sure whether to continue using a onesie at nights or whether to use pyjamas. I think the onesie as I do not want him trying to get the catheter out.
To try to help with confusion I also keep plenty of jelly beans around to keep the blood sugar level up, he is not diabetic but they do seem to help.
After breakfast I got a bucket with warm water to give him a wash and got him dressed. He now seems a bit happier. I have to go to Mum's home this morning so will talk to the caregivers and nurse there on things I need to do and things to watch for. At this time I am not sure whether to continue using a onesie at nights or whether to use pyjamas. I think the onesie as I do not want him trying to get the catheter out.
To try to help with confusion I also keep plenty of jelly beans around to keep the blood sugar level up, he is not diabetic but they do seem to help.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Night time antics
George woke up late this morning. I had slept through his prowling. He had been in the spare bedroom and been through the wardrobe, including the top cupboards. He had also been out to the garage.
When he got up he had on, over the top of the onesie, a pair of suit pants, a pair of pyjama pants, a shirt and a jersey. This something he will do for no particular reason. It does create a lot of washing.
When he got up he had on, over the top of the onesie, a pair of suit pants, a pair of pyjama pants, a shirt and a jersey. This something he will do for no particular reason. It does create a lot of washing.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Be patient
I find that you have to be very patient when caring for those with Alzheimer's. For example a typical morning today. I had a lot of things I needed to do today. George woke before me this morning,not good. The kitchen bench was a mess. He had tried to get his own breakfast. He had got the sugar bowl which was half full of sugar. He filled it with cornflakes and then filled it with milk, overflowing all over the place!
After getting dressed (with the caregiver) he was ready to go, but no! He changed his shoes,wanted gloves (very hot day), and various other things. It is impossible to hurry him. He was always incredibly slow but now...
After getting dressed (with the caregiver) he was ready to go, but no! He changed his shoes,wanted gloves (very hot day), and various other things. It is impossible to hurry him. He was always incredibly slow but now...
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Sunday
Most days I try to get George out. If I go out without him he has all sorts of stuff all over the place. He does not put any clothes away but leaves them in piles on the floor so I have to put them away. While we are both home he will either bring stuff such as photos out and go through them all and have piles everywhere or he will just sit on a chair and doze. He doesn't do any work and hasn't for a long time now. I am trying to get cooking done, gardening, change the bedding, doing cooking, housework etc while he watches. It can get rather frustrating at times especially with the mess he leaves.
Today when we went out he had on a pyjama top with a jersey on top (it is a hot day). This afternoon I am very busy trying to get things done while he just sits there. I was making a recipe which required rum. I bought rum as a present a while ago but found George had opened it and got into it. I then hid it but when I went to find it guess what? No rum. In addition there are a lot of empty bottles around the garage which I need to clear out. At least he has nearly finished everything we had and I am making sure no more is coming in and he has cut back and does not drink wine as there is no more here.
Today when we went out he had on a pyjama top with a jersey on top (it is a hot day). This afternoon I am very busy trying to get things done while he just sits there. I was making a recipe which required rum. I bought rum as a present a while ago but found George had opened it and got into it. I then hid it but when I went to find it guess what? No rum. In addition there are a lot of empty bottles around the garage which I need to clear out. At least he has nearly finished everything we had and I am making sure no more is coming in and he has cut back and does not drink wine as there is no more here.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
A week
It is over a week since I have posted on this blog - busy, busy, busy...
George is still putting the water in the coffee jar rather than the cup - not all the time but about 1 in 10!! I therefore try to be there when he is making coffee. It really is quite an expensive trick. I want him to remain as independant as possible for as long as possible. To get around this I just keep a small amount of coffee in a jar and put more in as this gets finished rather than a whole jar going out..
I took George out for dinner one night last week. He loves going out for dinner but this can get quite expensive. What I have found is that I get 'Grab a Deal' vouchers. The dinner this week cost $31 for a voucher for two meals. Had we been paying the normal price it would cost twice as much.
I do find it difficult to get George to wear the appropriate clothes. He will come to bed (if I am asleep) in trousers, singlet, shirt and then pyjamas over the top of all that!!
George is still putting the water in the coffee jar rather than the cup - not all the time but about 1 in 10!! I therefore try to be there when he is making coffee. It really is quite an expensive trick. I want him to remain as independant as possible for as long as possible. To get around this I just keep a small amount of coffee in a jar and put more in as this gets finished rather than a whole jar going out..
I took George out for dinner one night last week. He loves going out for dinner but this can get quite expensive. What I have found is that I get 'Grab a Deal' vouchers. The dinner this week cost $31 for a voucher for two meals. Had we been paying the normal price it would cost twice as much.
I do find it difficult to get George to wear the appropriate clothes. He will come to bed (if I am asleep) in trousers, singlet, shirt and then pyjamas over the top of all that!!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Out for dinner
George loves going out so we have just been out for dinner. He had salmon which looked lovely. I buy GrabOne vouchers when they appear which makes going out very affordable. Tonight our meals would have cost $50 for the two mains but I paid $26 for the voucher - you could have two mains that cost up to $52.
George needed me to tell him what to wear - he had on pyjama top instead of a shirt but we changed that and off we went. He enjoyed himself.
The weather here at the moment is fine during the day but there is snow over a lot of the South Island so the wind here is bitter...
George needed me to tell him what to wear - he had on pyjama top instead of a shirt but we changed that and off we went. He enjoyed himself.
The weather here at the moment is fine during the day but there is snow over a lot of the South Island so the wind here is bitter...
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Dental plate finished
After several trips to get a new dental plate it was finally completed and paid for - very expensive. Now the challenge will be to see that George cleans and wears it...
George got dressed this morning and was wearing his pyjamas ready to go out. I explained to him that he needed to have a shower and put on other clothes to go out. He did that and then suddenly started to do something else. I had to explain to him again that we were going to get his plate and he needed to put on shoes not slippers. Got that done and I told him to go out to the car while I grabbed some letters to post. Off George went...
I got out to the garage to find George still standing there waiting for me - there was a plastic bag on the passenger's seat.
He now has his plate and is feeling good about that, so here's hoping.
George got dressed this morning and was wearing his pyjamas ready to go out. I explained to him that he needed to have a shower and put on other clothes to go out. He did that and then suddenly started to do something else. I had to explain to him again that we were going to get his plate and he needed to put on shoes not slippers. Got that done and I told him to go out to the car while I grabbed some letters to post. Off George went...
I got out to the garage to find George still standing there waiting for me - there was a plastic bag on the passenger's seat.
He now has his plate and is feeling good about that, so here's hoping.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Dressing
Today George dressed himself. He took off his pyjamas and then put the top back on with a T shirt over the top and some long trousers. At about 1.30 he took off the T shirt and pants and put his dressing gown on. An hour later he put some other clothes on...
I put out some clean sheets first thing this morning (in the bedroom) ready to change the sheets on the bed when George finished dressing. I found only one sheet when I went to make the bed. I thought that I must be developing short term memory loss (thought that I must have only taken one out) and went to the linen cupboard to get the second sheet only to find it wasn't there. I then had to search for the second one. Found it in one of George's drawers - the one for his trousers!! I also found a pair of my undies!! Got to watch that boy...
I put out some clean sheets first thing this morning (in the bedroom) ready to change the sheets on the bed when George finished dressing. I found only one sheet when I went to make the bed. I thought that I must be developing short term memory loss (thought that I must have only taken one out) and went to the linen cupboard to get the second sheet only to find it wasn't there. I then had to search for the second one. Found it in one of George's drawers - the one for his trousers!! I also found a pair of my undies!! Got to watch that boy...
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