back to normal

George's son left Sunday afternoon. What a wonderful visit for George.

It does amaze me how quickly they change from day to day. Just when things are going really well the condition makes itself known again.

Yesterday, when I went in, I sat next to him. George was dozing. When I touched his arm he looked at me and said, "I went to school with him". We then spent at least half an hour talking about his school friends. It took me ages to turn the conversation around to the visit. He did perk up and gradually we talked about what we had done. I find that sometimes he remembers things but always I keep talking about this type of thing so he doesn't forget his friends and family.

This video is just about New Zealanders, also known as Kiwis. Just a bit of light relief I found on youtube and downloaded to show George. 

A day for George

Something that is quite difficult is to keep taking the time out to continually amuse George. I do realise how important it is to do this but the carer will often be very aware of all the other things that need doing. George has not been capable of providing any sort of assistance so everything inside and out depends on me.

Today I took him down to Brighton with me to get some more cleaners. I am very aware of making sure things are clean ( although rarely tidy). I get soaps for example with sanitisers in them and I use a lot of bleach and Dettol.

When we came home I took him outside to sit in the sun for a while as I am a firm believer that we all need vitamin D. I got him a drink and some biscuits. I have found that it is best to give him one biscuit at a time as if I give him more than one he leaves bits from each biscuit. I am not sure why this is but it may be that he forgets about the one he is eating and just goes on to the next or if he thinks he should leave a bit if each one.

He seems to be a lot happier today than he has been since his turn and did tell me today that it frightened him. The catheter obviously can get uncomfortable but we are managing.

I have an occupational therapist coming round in the morning and I am taking George to the nurse at the doctor's surgery tomorrow afternoon.

Helping to retain that memory

After our horrific start to the day (see below) I managed to get George back on track! This did take some time but worth it. I made sure that he had his breakfast and also gave him some jelly beans to help the blood/sugar levels. I then got him out the big book I had made him and we went through it. The first time he did not recognise many people and had to read to find the names even with the picture of him with Audrey Hepburn, something he loves to remember. The second time he was a bit better and the third time he really got into the swing. He would turn a page and say, I remember this and then proceed to tell me about that day when the photo was taken. It was interesting too that he certainly remembered those he had spent time with recently, for example his son and grandson who had both visited from Sydney. I think this would be because they both spent a lot of time with him while they were here. Another old friend rings him several times a month and this seems to be important to George. They talk about old times and people they both knew as well as rugby games. For family it is important for them to spend as much time as they can with a person with Alzheimer's and keep talking about the past as then they have a greater chance of having those special moments with that person as the disease progresses.

For those separated by being in different places a great way to overcome this is via Skype - just make the time.

Weekend blues

George does try to help but unfortunately it generally creates more work. On Saturday I wash the bed linen and let the bed air while I go to visit Mum. I went into the bedroom to find a sheet plonked on the bed and the duvet inner taken out from its cover, just what you need.

George is certainly not coping with toilet issues at the moment and often comes out of the toilet area carrying his pants. It is very difficult to know how to deal with things sometimes as often those with Alzheimer's really have little idea of the fact that what they are doing is not the way to do it.

Another thing I will have to watch is whether he is starting to see things which are not there. Yesterday he looked over the arm of the chair and said to the floor, "oh there you are, what are you doing there?" When I asked who he was talking to he told me it was the cat. At the time the cat was having something to eat in another room.

Going going gone...

Something that is really difficult and time consuming to deal with is things going missing.

Yesterday George caught the bus home from Brighton. I was not there when he got home. The next day he needed his stick. I spent ages looking for it. Nowhere to be found. I have rung the bus company but no luck. He later showed me a parcel that he had bought. This happened while I was getting tea. I told him to put it into the bedroom. This afternoon he wanted it. Again I have spent a long time looking for it with no luck.

While I was looking I found two pairs of pyjama pants stuffed up into the top of the wardrobe, I had been looking for these s I guess that is something.

Stay one step ahead

I try but it is not always possible. If you are not supervising all the time all sorts of strange things happen.

George cannot open a milk bottle so I try to remember to do this before I put it in the fridge.

George's attempt to open the milk bottle.

He cannot open a can of drink using the tab. If I am not around I find all sorts of things on the bench afterwards where he has tried to spear it open (sometimes succeeding).

When I put new toilet rolls into the toilet area I need to start the roll before I put them into the container otherwise half the roll goes in his attempts to use it.

Last night he watched the rugby. This morning I found two new packets of cornflakes on the sofa (open). He thought that they were chips.

Today he has been rummaging through his wardrobe trying on trousers. He told me he had only one pair that fitted as he was too fat. He only 'had a pair of undies on under these ones'. I asked what else he needed on under them and he seemed to think he needed another pair of trousers.

Birthday

George enjoyed his birthday. He liked the cards and presents although one present hasn't arrived. I managed to get a copy of Casablanca which is in the mail - it is one of his favourites. For the day I gave him two T shirts and some Frank Sinatra movies (DVD).  He loved watching an e-card sent to him by his sister in law, on the computer and his sister, in England, sent him some books.

He also decided to go to Brighton for a hair cut late in the day and luckily he was able to get one.
Frequently when I am trying to get a meal he will come and stand at the bench making himself something to eat, like toast. Even though I tell him I am getting tea he continues to eat and so often takes a long time eating his tea... Last night when I told him that I was getting tea he looked surprised and wanted to know what the time was. I told him it was nearly six and time for the News. He thought it was still morning.

This morning he was making a coffee and put the hot water into the coffee jar instead of the coffee cups!!

Coffee time

Took mum down to Brighton to the cafe for coffee and a pavlova (with extra cream). George caught a bus and met us there. I have discussed George going on the bus with the doctor who thinks it is a great idea to encourage George to be as independent as possible for as long as possible.

At home George asked which rubbish bins needed to go out. I told him we needed to take the two yellow bins out. He went and started putting a whole lot of stuff into a green bin (for garden rubbish and food scraps) so I had to go and take it all out and sort it into the right bins. In the meantime he didn't take any bins out - I think he had forgotten what he was going to do so we went and he took one down - returning inside to reward himself with a drink, I took the other ones down...