I moved in with my dad to help take care of my grandma and she has alzhimers and its really stressful. shes had it for maybe 6 years now.I understand sum stuff but lately theres been new things I dont understand.shes on medicines and shes 84.she can still walk but she takes alot of time and uses a walker. i forget what is wrong but her doctor said its amazing shes able to walk,her hip or sumthing is half gone and her alzhimers has made her not feel most of the pain.everyday she asks for people who have been dead for 50,20,10 years. im told they go back to there childhood. she dosent beleive me when i tell them there dead and gone.sumtimes she dosent think this is her house but its very rare.shes also talking to her self out loud now,even when shes alone,like she cant think in her head.but shes cold everyday,and its been over 90 most days outside,she always has a blanket and jacket,we dont know why because she isnt on blood thiners or anything thatd make her cold.and at night time she hears music.it sounds like she hears sumthing very loud which is weird because shes half dead and nothing is on in her room and she dosent have a hearing aid.sum nights when its late she sees things outside.always people.she keeps it up all night too for hours,the other night it was sumone fighting and laying on the ground behind the car and she was out on the porch.once it was a whole family in my dads truck and a baby,we dont understand why she sees weird things.shes not on anything new.shes not the same person,not even from two years ago.seems like every day is worse. its stressful for me because im here 24/7 and cant find a decent job to get away so im really ready to scream.so i really need sum advice and answers if anyones been threw what i have.
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Dealing with Alzhimers
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First don't beat yourself up for feeling so helpless and frustrated and wanting to get away, i bet your dad feels the same too. Dealing with Alzheimers, or any dementia can be VERY hard on the ones caring, and i know a few people who feel so guilty about feeling the way they do about people they love, and its not the people they are hating its what the disease does to them.Look in the phone book and find a contact number for an Alzheimers group, if not for you then maybe you're dad might find it beneficial, people who care need help too and its easy to just get on with it and burn out!You do need some time away from the house, even if its not job related, a few hours just out doing whatever will help recharge, and if you can find a way to let your dad get a bit of that too.I really admire you hon, moving in to help look after her, its hard, frustrating thankless work, but you are the better person for doing it, and i bet your dad especially thinks the world of you for doing it.You can cope with most things however hard if you get some time out, and last i would suggest getting in touch with someone from a respite service, a lot of the time they can get someone in for an few hours and that means that you AND your dad could go and do something together instead of it just mainly being caring for your grandma. Good luck honey x
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It's very good to see you back, coys.This is really tough. People with dementia are so difficult to interact with, because they remember so little and you can have the same conversation every two minutes. And with time they don't recognise you and often get very suspicious and difficult.You may need to have some sort of lock on the door, especially at night so she can't wander out onto the street. You also will need to be careful she doesn't get dehydrated, wearing so much in the heat. She feels cold, but that doesn't mean her body isn't overheating.Unfortunately it will just gradually get worse, until at some point she'll need professional care. Alzheimer's kills the brain, but the body keeps going. This can go on for years and years.I admire you for coping as well as you are. Do take up Angel's ideas about support and respite.
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Im glad to be back,lifes been crazy since i moved in and im never really on this site.but i cant seem to find answers about alzhimers on the net and i figured to come back here and get answers,clues and advice from all kinds of people.today hasent even started and its been bad,she tried to cook and we have a gas stove and she ended up buring the pot she was using and my dad yelled at her real bad so she cried for 10 mins.thats twice now we've caught her cooking.my dad gets out of the house alot,he goes out every night for hours and im stuck here and he dosent do as much as me.thats why im so frusturated.i have to do everything and im only 21. so im def angry with him and mad i cant find anything to get outta the house,i only see my friends on the weekends and im not in college,i am highly considering going even more now to get away from here.im going to look for a job agian this week so hopefully ill find sumthing.she seems to be the worst at night,she wonders around the house.she sleeps alot in the day.my dads talked about going to an alzhimer support group.i just feel like its just me caring for her though,she has 6 other grandchildren my age or older and they never come to help out or see her.her daughter dosent seem to care and comes in once a year and shes only 3 hours away.it makes me mad noone else cares or helps out. i understand they have lives but goddamn.
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That is tough. I know a woman who spent most of her life looking after her father. Most of the time he didn't have Alzheimer's, but in the last twenty years he did, getting progressively worse. Most people have no idea how hard it is.
The stove is a problem. As the disease gets worse she just won't know she's not supposed to cook, and the danger of setting herself on fire is very real. You may have to lock the kitchen.
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thank you helms,i tried to send u a message but it keeps telling me i cant.
i think there is a group around here and weve talked about going.