Name: Dianne Doyle
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Date: 11/05/2008
Time: 12:57 PM

Comments

One of the challenges of feeding my father, who is on hospice and unable to feed himself, was to keep the food warm. The baby dishes of decades ago that you could fill with hot water have long since been discontinued. So I came up with the idea of putting a bean bag (ours is filled with popcorn) and heating it for 2.5 minutes and putting it on a plate, and then putting the dish with his dinner on it ON TOP OF the bean bag. Voila! It kept the meal hot the whole time it took to feed him (often 40-60 minutes) and I wasn't cooking it to death by reheating it a half dozen times during the course of the meal. And when I need a bowl kept hot, like for soups, I put the bean bag in a big soup bowl, and then wedge the smaller bowl down in the cavity, and it keeps the sides warm too. I'm so grateful you have put this website here; caregivers are a creative lot, and I just KNOW other people have come up with innovative solutions to common caregiving problems. I can't wait to read them all!!!

Name: Ines
Location: Kings Park, NY
Date: 11/06/2008
Time: 08:13 AM

Comments

While driving my mom, who has moderate dementia to her day program, I "quiz" her on spelling and math problems (simple addition and multiplication). She was an apt student in school and can still do these tasks. It keeps her mind active and thinking and she tells me she likes the challenges.

Name:
Location:
Date: 11/13/2008
Time: 04:37 PM

Comments

I take my mother to respite care(daycare) during the day and she doesn't want to leave me. I tell her that she is going to her job at the senior Center to help them. since she always wants to help me around the house, she is less likely to resist going. I tell her how much they need her help and that she is doing a great job of helping me out too. She is still clingy, but it has helped give her a focus other than on herself, which gives her a purpose. They really do have her help with chores and she comes home tired, so she sleeps better too.

Name: Ron Barth
Location: Newhall, CA.
Date: 11/14/2008
Time: 05:44 PM

Comments

My wife has dementia and is in the middle stages. She has a difficult time eating because of the loss of many of her teeth. I have found she really enjoys Gerber baby cereal mixed with Ensure.

Name: Sandy White
Location: Wellington, Florida
Date: 11/15/2008
Time: 04:33 PM

Comments

I'm so glad I joined several support groups and feel sorry for those who stay away. Our support groups aren't "pity parties" but sources of good information to what are our options in recovery, what does it cost, how did it work, where are they located, who is the best. This is especially important if you are on an HMO. HMOs are notoriously poor on treating long term disability. They require their doctors to sign a gag order that the doctor won't tell you about any option that your HMO doesn't cover. And because an HMO is constantly making new contracts with providers, sometimes the best are still on their approved list but not mentioned because the HMO negotiated a lower price with a newer provider. If you find out about a more effective therapy, call that provider's office direct and ask if they accept your HMO or insurance. HMO Advantage ads tell you what they offer that Medicare doesn't, but they don't tell you what they don't that Medicare will cover. And because they are the gate keepers you can't get all your possible Medicare coverage. Don't believe them when they tell you you have reached your "life time limit of physical therapy under Medicare." Medicare only has yearly limits and the next year you can get more therapy if you can still make progress with it. Support groups can wise you up to nuances like that. And they can tell you about many government sponsored services that are not advertised. In the scheme of things, programs getting government funding can't use those funds for advertising because it takes money away from direct services. If you see a god government program, jump on it immediately because the value of that program is judged by the number of people who found it and used it. Without advertising, many only last one or two years, so may be gone if you delay, regardless of their quality.

Name: Sylvar
Location: Redondo Beach
Date: 11/17/2008
Time: 11:42 PM

Comments

I really love this site with all the tips and helpful information. So here is just a quick store & tip for those with inflammation: After some trial and error with a client's nutritional needs, I found that Pineapple (juice but mainly fresh slices) helped with his ocular neuritis and migraines because of the Bromelain in pineapples, it reduces inflammation. Within minutes of eating the fruit I prepared for him, his pain in his eye was gone and he said he was seeing better. Bromelain works to reduce all types of inflammation, from a cut on a finger to chronic migraines. I just thought this was a good tip since most people love pineapple and so many suffer from debilitating conditions that Bromelain helps.

Name: Steve
Location: Brownsville,In
Date: 11/18/2008
Time: 03:41 PM

Comments

My dad has Alzheimer's. I have added lighted light switches & nite lights to help him at night. Also put name tags in the bathroom for his items.

Name: Jane
Location: Kansas City
Date: 11/19/2008
Time: 02:44 PM

Comments

When my husband broke a bone in his foot, he needed a wheelchair for long distances because he was not supposed to put weight on the broken bone. Like a super-caregiver, I rented a wheelchair and dutifully hauled it in and out of the car each time he needed it. After 4 days of this, my back hurt so much that I couldn't think straight! It dawned on me that most places we go have wheelchairs at their doors and that didn't involve my lifting it in and out of the trunk of our car! So I returned my rental wheelchair and started using the available wheelchair at the mall or the doctor's office building, etc. It has saved my back often!

Name: Jackie
Location: South Carolina
Date: 11/20/2008
Time: 03:34 PM

Comments

Most of the behavior problems my mother had were related to prolonged use of certain medications and food allergies. While under the care of a physician, she was taken off two of the medications that she had been on for over 30 years. She got much better almost right away, but later started declining again. Then I found NAET, which is a natural allergy elimination treatment and she responded so well. Within a day of her first treatment, she began to lose many of the behaviors that had plagued us both. Her hearing improved and her balance as well. You can check out NAET.com for more information. Allergies, especially severe allergies, can affect behavior in anyone. Hope others find the help she did. I have used NAET as well. It didn't happen overnight, but I recovered from chronic fatigue, and found myself less easily irritated.

Name: Kathy
Location: Dallas
Date: 11/21/2008
Time: 02:23 PM

Comments

My mom is in the moderate to advanced stage of Alzheimer's and her cleanliness habits have declined. I realized that she was unable to search for personal grooming items. So I've arranged her bathroom so that what she needs is easily visible. Her washcloths are rolled up and placed in a basket on the counter. She has a full pitcher and a glass to encourage her to drink. The extra rolls of toilet paper are right in a stand right next to the toilet. Before I found a nice looking one, I stuck a plumbers helper to the floor and dropped rolls of toilet paper over the handle. I have started buying soap that is brightly colored (not white) so that is is easy to see against the white sink and countertop. Same with all the towels - bright reds and purple are much easier for her to find hanging against the pale wall. Even her toilet seat is dark green so that it stands out when she enters the bathroom. I've outlined the wall switch with colored tape and a label that says LIGHT. Believe it or not, these little things help.

Name: Maryan Daily
Location: Dallas, Pa.
Date: 12/05/2008
Time: 09:57 AM

Comments

I am fortunate to run an Alzheimer's Support Group. It's a great learning experience, plus making new friends. The greatest tip I can give is to educate all caregivers to seek out a support group. It is important in so many ways; you get a few hours of necessary respite, education and tips in your field, and the friendship you need, phone numbers so that you have a compassionate ear between meetings. If you find that your trip to the bathroom is the only peace you get during the day, it is time to seek help - friends from church, aids, relatives, and of course, the support groups. My husband had Alzheimer's for years, so my knowledge is concentrated in that field. Two clever tips: during the middle stages, run a string of Christmas lights along the hallway that lead to the bathroom and then label the door with a picture of a toilet. #2 Place a black rug in front of any door that would lead to steps or outside. In the later stages the patient thinks this is a hole and will not walk over the area. I've learned so much NOW, and regret that I did not have a group to attend while caring for my dear husband. When you are at your wits end, remember that deep down inside your loved one is still in there, touch him/her and tell them you still love them. May God bless all you caregivers!

Name: Dianne Doyle
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Date: 01/02/2009
Time: 08:00 AM

Comments

My father has been on hospice care for just over 3 years. (He's trying to set a record with them, I think!) Part of his disease has been a contraction of the inner thigh muscles, resulting in his legs always being crossed at the ankles, and when he sleeps (unmoving, because he cannot move himself) in that position for 10-12 hours, he wakes with TERRIBLE knee and hip pain, much like as if they were out of socket. The pain meds he was on for this were staggeringly high. One day my nearly 90 year old mother suggested I put a boot on him, using a seat cushion held over his ankle with an Ace bandage holding the sides up but not tight. So I put a thin seat cushion (you know the type, just a piece of foam covered by a piece of cloth) over his ankle and lightly wrapped an Ace bandage around the seat cushion just to hold it closed at the top. The end result was that his legs didn't cross at the ankle at night, and his knee and hip didn't get locked into that position during the night, and the best thing of all was that he HAD NOT MORE PAIN!!! We found it had to be down over his ankle, because otherwise he would maneuver his foot to hook onto the other foot. But with the cushion over his ankle, it became too cumbersome for him to lift, and so he left it lying on the bed UNCROSSED all night, and woke to NO PAIN. I told Mom she gets the Nobel prize from me!!! And the proof is that Dad has needed NO pain meds for 4 days (since we discovered this worked). We take the "boot" off every morning and replace it with a small cushion between his legs to keep them from crossing during the day, while allowing his otherwise "booted" ankle to roam free. It has worked miracles for us.....hope it might help someone facing a similar problem.

Name: Louise Gogel
Location: Manchester, VT
Date: 01/04/2009
Time: 09:58 AM

Comments

One day, when I was tired of explaining over and over every day to my mom ways to position herself to be able to sit safely on the toilet, I had an brilliant idea that is helping us both. As my mom was sitting there on the loo I outlined the bathroom floor around her feet with red duct tape. Against the white tiles it stands out beautifully and has helped be a guide so that now I only have to say: get your feet into the red marks before you sit.

Name: Bob
Location: Michigan
Date: 01/05/2009
Time: 02:26 AM

Comments

Mom at 92, almost stopped eating anything solid. I often referred to it as Anorexia. She simply had no appetite. When she did eat, she would have surprise bowel movements that on occasion wouldn't make it to the bathroom. The doctor's answer was to do an endoscopy, Mom didn't want anything to do with it. So as "The Good son" I tackled one problem at a time. First the not eating. She complained that certain foods upset her stomach, well I found it was ALL FOODS. Found that an acid reducer, once a day, brought her appetite back. Seems the elderly keep producing acid they don't need. Mom's doctor put her on Nexium instead of acid reducers and seems to be working well. Now the surprise trips to the bathroom. One of the hired care givers pointed out that the elderly often have food blockage in the lower track. The blockage sits there and keeps future meals from passing easily. Answer: one stool softener per day available over the counter. Mom has been eating well and even gaining some weight. Hope this helps...Mom is now 95 and back up to her usual weight. Be sure to consult with the doctor, I did and she was agreeable to doing what I found Works!

To Trish:

Your post was removed to be used a our carenote this week since you were asking a question..  Take care

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