Result of deafness and alzheimers: Sheer frustration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MaNaAk]

Hello everybody!
Anyone who has read my recent threads will know that Dad's deafness has affected his alzheimers and this showed in his recent memory test. Anyway Dad had his ears syringed and it became obvious that there was a problem with one of his hearing aids. Therefore I arranged an appointment for him to have his hearing tested at our local hospital rather than the surgery because they had an earlier appointment. Anyhow I packed his spare hearing aids and what with teaching my violin pupil and ensuring that Dad had something to eat before his appointment (he suffers from diabetes) I didn't think to ensure that he was wearing his hearing aids and it wasn't until we got out of the car at the hospital that I realised he wasn't wearing them! He wears them everyday but the one day when he needed them he didn't!

Anyway the hospital did what they could for us but without his current hearing aids they could only give us batteries for his old ones. Meanwhile my poor brother and his partner who gave us a lift to the hospital doubled back to look for his hearing aids but they couldn't find them. Anyhow I managed to arrange another appointment (this time at our local surgery) and while Dad didn't like to wait two more weeks this was the best that we could manage because if this happened again it would be more convenient for me to dash back rather than having my poor brother driving backwards and forwards like a yoyo and risking an accident!

The sad thing about this is that if Dad didn't half alzheimers he would have been ready a whole hour before his appointment and he would checked that he had everything twice over! However at the end of the day we gave each other a cuddle and joked about turning up to a hearing aid appointment without wearing hearing aids. Needless to say I explained the situation to the receptionist at the hospital who was very sympathetic!

MaNaAk

 

[MaNaAk]

Hello everybody!
Anyone who has read my recent threads will know that Dad's deafness has affected his alzheimers and this showed in his recent memory test. Anyway Dad had his ears syringed and it became obvious that there was a problem with one of his hearing aids. Therefore I arranged an appointment for him to have his hearing tested at our local hospital rather than the surgery because they had an earlier appointment. Anyhow I packed his spare hearing aids and what with teaching my violin pupil and ensuring that Dad had something to eat before his appointment (he suffers from diabetes) I didn't think to ensure that he was wearing his hearing aids and it wasn't until we got out of the car at the hospital that I realised he wasn't wearing them! He wears them everyday but the one day when he needed them he didn't!

Anyway the hospital did what they could for us but without his current hearing aids they could only give us batteries for his old ones. Meanwhile my poor brother and his partner who gave us a lift to the hospital doubled back to look for his hearing aids but they couldn't find them. Anyhow I managed to arrange another appointment (this time at our local surgery) and while Dad didn't like to wait two more weeks this was the best that we could manage because if this happened again it would be more convenient for me to dash back rather than having my poor brother driving backwards and forwards like a yoyo and risking an accident!

The sad thing about this is that if Dad didn't half alzheimers he would have been ready a whole hour before his appointment and he would checked that he had everything twice over! However at the end of the day we gave each other a cuddle and joked about turning up to a hearing aid appointment without wearing hearing aids. Needless to say I explained the situation to the receptionist at the hospital who was very sympathetic!

MaNaAk

I'm glad people think I'm doing well though.I realise I am in a better situation on a lot of people here but unfortunately only dad's there when I really need a shoulder to cry on. At the moment he is able to offer this but in the future he won't be.

MaNaAk

 

[MaNaAk]

I also feel selfish!

 

[MaNaAk]

Deafness and Dementia

I am going to be viewing my posts every few days. I'm sorry but I thought I may get some reaction I was hoping a virtual cuddle.

 

[PollyP.]

Hi MaNaAk

a virtual cuddle for you ((( MaNaAk ))).

I know how frustrating it can be dealing with hearing aids. My Mum had one aid which cost over £1000, it was great until she lost it! The care home searched how and low to find it but it was so tiny that it probably got thrown out in a hankie. We spent time at our local hospital and then after about 3 months went back to pick up the new ones, but Mum couldn't get on with them and now they sit on her shelf

Glad that you could have a cuddle with your Dad though.

Love
pauline
x

 

[MaNaAk]

Hi MaNaAk

a virtual cuddle for you ((( MaNaAk ))).

I know how frustrating it can be dealing with hearing aids. My Mum had one aid which cost over £1000, it was great until she lost it! The care home searched how and low to find it but it was so tiny that it probably got thrown out in a hankie. We spent time at our local hospital and then after about 3 months went back to pick up the new ones, but Mum couldn't get on with them and now they sit on her shelf

Glad that you could have a cuddle with your Dad though.

Love
pauline
x

Thankyou Polly! Dad is settled with his old hearing aids at the moment although I have noticed that he confuses glasses and hearing aids! I think that some of his communication problems stem from the fact that English is not his first language. It's a shame that after having spent £1000 on her hearing aids your mum doesn't get on with hers. Dad was like this for several years when he first had hearing aids and in his case he was a bit stubborn! I hope your mum does eventually wear her hearing aids because it doesn't do dementia sufferers any good not to wear them.

Virtual hug from MaNaAk xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Cat27]

I am going to be viewing my posts every few days. I'm sorry but I thought I may get some reaction I was hoping a virtual cuddle.

I'm so sorry I missed your posts.
The hearing aid thing is so frustrating. I hope you get it sorted soon.

 

[PollyP.]

Hi MaNaAk

When Mum first got her £1000 private hearing aid, she put it into her Steradent liquid with her teeth! Thankfully, after it dried out it was still working fine. She had that one in the care home for 4 years but then it disappeared and that's when we had to go down the NHS route - unfortunately the NHS ones were not as good as the private one but we couldn't afford another £1000. Mum will be 101 years old this summer and I never imagined that she would live for so long, I thought the private hearing aid would see her out, never imagining it would get lost.

Pauline
((hugs))

 

[MaNaAk]

Hi MaNaAk

When Mum first got her £1000 private hearing aid, she put it into her Steradent liquid with her teeth! Thankfully, after it dried out it was still working fine. She had that one in the care home for 4 years but then it disappeared and that's when we had to go down the NHS route - unfortunately the NHS ones were not as good as the private one but we couldn't afford another £1000. Mum will be 101 years old this summer and I never imagined that she would live for so long, I thought the private hearing aid would see her out, never imagining it would get lost.

Pauline
((hugs))

Dear Pauline,
To spend all that money on hearing aids and then for them to get lost must be beyond frustrating however regarding dentures and dad's teeth that's another story with him spending £300 and dental treatment and refusing to wear them! He has more in common with his mil than he thinks!

Love and hugs

MaNaAk

 

[MaNaAk]

I'm so sorry I missed your posts.
The hearing aid thing is so frustrating. I hope you get it sorted soon.

That's okay Cat! He seems to think that the hearing aids were sorted! Unfortunately he keeps telling me that the diabetes has gone as well!

Where do we get the strength from!

MaNaAk Love and hugs

 

[Lancashirelady]

I know exactly how you feel. Mum got hearing aids about 3 years ago but was a terror for not using them. The carer put them in every time she visited but in next to no time Mum would whip them out and we'd end up turning the house upside down to try and find them. It was so much easier to have a conversation when she could actually hear as she was having enough trouble computing what you were saying. Mum is now in a home and has managed to lose both hearing aids in the last month. I eventually found one in her room which didn't actually fit and the carers have no idea who it belongs to! Mum's eyesight is also very poor and the home staff are continually having to hunt for her glasses/sort out who is wearing their own specs and who is wearing someone else's. Communication is hard enough without all that!

 

[Rosnpton]

Mums in ch- her latest is to remove the battery to make it last longer! Haven't worked out how as she has chronic arthritis in her hands and struggles to put them in let alone open the battery bit and remove it!
I wonder if it's also a sort of rebellion- if I can't hear you I can't do what you want me to.
My youngest had hearing aids from 6months to 5 years.
She used to unhook them and just look at you blankly if being told off etc-even tho she could also lip read she would jsut look you right in the eye,point at her ears and say 'ears don't work,can't hear you, sorry'. As she was also a sweet little blue eye blonde she got away with it so many times!

Unfortunatly,due to the size etc of modern hearing aids,theres not really any way to mark them with wearers details etc

 

[MaNaAk]

I know exactly how you feel. Mum got hearing aids about 3 years ago but was a terror for not using them. The carer put them in every time she visited but in next to no time Mum would whip them out and we'd end up turning the house upside down to try and find them. It was so much easier to have a conversation when she could actually hear as she was having enough trouble computing what you were saying. Mum is now in a home and has managed to lose both hearing aids in the last month. I eventually found one in her room which didn't actually fit and the carers have no idea who it belongs to! Mum's eyesight is also very poor and the home staff are continually having to hunt for her glasses/sort out who is wearing their own specs and who is wearing someone else's. Communication is hard enough without all that!

Dear Lancashire Lady,

The care home staff must feel that they are playing musical chairs with everyone's glasses and also what is it with our parents generation that makes them want to 'paly about' with their hearing aids?

MaNaAk

 

[MaNaAk]

Mums in ch- her latest is to remove the battery to make it last longer! Haven't worked out how as she has chronic arthritis in her hands and struggles to put them in let alone open the battery bit and remove it!
I wonder if it's also a sort of rebellion- if I can't hear you I can't do what you want me to.
My youngest had hearing aids from 6months to 5 years.
She used to unhook them and just look at you blankly if being told off etc-even tho she could also lip read she would jsut look you right in the eye,point at her ears and say 'ears don't work,can't hear you, sorry'. As she was also a sweet little blue eye blonde she got away with it so many times!

Unfortunatly,due to the size etc of modern hearing aids,theres not really any way to mark them with wearers details etc

Dear Rosnpton,

Dad has settled back into his old hearing aids for the time being but when he first started going deaf he gave the impression that he had selective hearing and also we had trouble getting him to wear his hearing aids! But anyway he's settled for the time being so lets hope it lasts.

MaNaAk