My mom and I take care of 2 elderly ladies who both have Alzheimers. It's a private home and we take care of them in my moms home, both ladies live here with my parents 24/7 and I come in 7 days a week for 8-4 and do the morning and afternoon routine.
I will tell you we have been in this business for 15 years (not always Alzheimers patients) and Alzheimers is one of the hardest dieases to deal with. My heart just goes out to these poor innocent people who are dealing with this and the familes. It's hard to sit back and watch are loved ones deal with something that is out of are hands. They can be so confused one minute and the next minute they are fine.
We have had Frances for a little over a year now and she came from a nursing home. when I went to visit her she held on to this stuffed dog and she told me she was locked up and they wouldnt let her out. Now that she has been with us for over a year, the doctors are just astonished by how she is doing, they told us they dont know what were doing but to keep it up! She no longer carries around the stuffed dog, it sits on her bed. She knows who we are and she is just a blessing to us. I'm sad to say that as I type this she is in the hospital, she has a bad infection in the bladder and it has spread to her stomach, she is on antibotics and the doctors think she will recover and be fine. But she has lost the strength in her legs, were not sure if she will get that back or not.
The new lady we have, we have only had her now going on 3 weeks, but she is very confused. Hopefully with time she will be a little better. Neither one of them are mean but the new one can get agitated at times, it's like she is so lost and has no idea where she is.
You just have to be patient with your mom, and it's going to make it very hard since she is far away from you, she really needs family and loved ones at this time.
Let me know if you ever need to talk!
Here is a pic of Frances, I dont have one yet of Virgina. Frances just turned 87!!!!!!!! |