please help with some advice

[Guest guest]

It has been a long time since I posted anything.  My mom has lbd and is in an

assisted living.  The last few months have been really tough.  She has lost

her ability to reason, her short term memory is gone and she has digressed to

remembering very little about the past 20 years.  She is so confused over the

time of day and that she is refusing her medications, twice in the past 3

mornings.  She is at the max dosages for Namenda and Aricept and is on a small

dose of Seroquel.  She is an extreme fall risk, so the doctor is afraid to give

her too much Seroquel.  She gets very adament when she thinks she is right,

there is no changing her mind, and at times she gets really nasty!!  Please

anyone, can you give me advise?  In the lbd caregivers book, there are some

stages put together, can anyone give me an idea of where Mom is in those

stages.  I am overwhelmed at the rapid changes and with knowing what to do

next.

Thank you for any input

Sharon Stalnaker

Massillon, OH

My mother will be 80 this Thursday, and was diagnosed in Jan.2010

Subject: Re: Hello!! Long time no post :-)

To: LBDcaregivers

Date: Sunday, May 1, 2011, 11:20 AM

 

Hello Emma! How good to hear from you! I certainly remember you and remember you

were thinking of writing about your experience before. I wish you the best of

luck in this endeavor. Hope life is treating you well!

>

> Hello LBD group memebers!

> My name is Emma and I have been a (quiet lately) part of this group since 2007

when I was living with and caring for my grandmother.

> Although I am very aware of how busy you all are I am posting today to seek

your help. I am in the (extremely) beginning stages of thinking about writing a

book about my experience with my grandma and I would LOVE to have (and possibly

use) any of your stories and experiences that you might wish to share. My infant

vision of this book is something like a memior/survival guide hybrid but as any

writer can tell you the vision is sometimes nothing like the full grown product

so we will see. :-)

> I am not at all looking to co-opt anyone's feelings, stories, or experiences

and that is why I'm asking you to email me personally with anything that you

feel comfortable contributing. That way its a strictly voluntary thing. And of

course names, locations, etc. will be changed in any stories I use to protect

privacy.

> I say prayers for all of you every day and wish you the best of luck in all

your situations. If you have any thoughts or ideas on this book thing I'd love

to hear them so feel free to give me not only your stories but your opinions as

well.

> I look forward to hearin from you!

> Emma

> emsyfay@...

>

[Guest guest]

You can't win an arguement with your LO so don't try. Agree with what you can,

make non-comittal statements about the rest, and try to look beyond the words

when she says something nasty. This is as much a confusing illness for the

caregivers as it is for those we care for. We want so badly for them to regain

some executive function and when they do-like refusing to take their

medications-we tell them they can't. I think this is her way of trying to

maintain some control over her situation. Maybe there's some other, less

critical thing, you can give her control over instead.

BTW: If she's a fall risk she might be overmedicated. Maybe you could get her

doctor to review what she's taking and adjust her dosages, and don't forget to

ask about Over The Counter drugs she might be using as well.

> >

> > Hello LBD group memebers!

> > My name is Emma and I have been a (quiet lately) part of this group since

2007 when I was living with and caring for my grandmother.

> > Although I am very aware of how busy you all are I am posting today to seek

your help. I am in the (extremely) beginning stages of thinking about writing a

book about my experience with my grandma and I would LOVE to have (and possibly

use) any of your stories and experiences that you might wish to share. My infant

vision of this book is something like a memior/survival guide hybrid but as any

writer can tell you the vision is sometimes nothing like the full grown product

so we will see. :-)

> > I am not at all looking to co-opt anyone's feelings, stories, or experiences

and that is why I'm asking you to email me personally with anything that you

feel comfortable contributing. That way its a strictly voluntary thing. And of

course names, locations, etc. will be changed in any stories I use to protect

privacy.

> > I say prayers for all of you every day and wish you the best of luck in all

your situations. If you have any thoughts or ideas on this book thing I'd love

to hear them so feel free to give me not only your stories but your opinions as

well.

> > I look forward to hearin from you!

> > Emma

> > emsyfay@

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sharon,

Don't forget to check for UTI if she has had lots of changes real fast. It is

usually a UTI. At least it is a good place to start.

Hugs,

Donna R

Cared for Mom 3 years in my home and the last year at a nh. She passed away

from LBD in 2002.

Re: Hello!! Long time no post :-)

To: LBDcaregivers

Date: Sunday, May 1, 2011, 11:20 AM

 

Hello Emma! How good to hear from you! I certainly remember you and remember you

were thinking of writing about your experience before. I wish you the best of

luck in this endeavor. Hope life is treating you well!

>

> Hello LBD group memebers!

> My name is Emma and I have been a (quiet lately) part of this group since 2007

when I was living with and caring for my grandmother.

> Although I am very aware of how busy you all are I am posting today to seek

your help. I am in the (extremely) beginning stages of thinking about writing a

book about my experience with my grandma and I would LOVE to have (and possibly

use) any of your stories and experiences that you might wish to share. My infant

vision of this book is something like a memior/survival guide hybrid but as any

writer can tell you the vision is sometimes nothing like the full grown product

so we will see. :-)

> I am not at all looking to co-opt anyone's feelings, stories, or experiences

and that is why I'm asking you to email me personally with anything that you

feel comfortable contributing. That way its a strictly voluntary thing. And of

course names, locations, etc. will be changed in any stories I use to protect

privacy.

> I say prayers for all of you every day and wish you the best of luck in all

your situations. If you have any thoughts or ideas on this book thing I'd love

to hear them so feel free to give me not only your stories but your opinions as

well.

> I look forward to hearin from you!

> Emma

> emsyfay@...

>