Alzheimer's does not mean deafness!

[AbbyGee]

Had cause to call 111 early evening time yesterday.
My OH, who has COPD, was experiencing worsening chest pains, shaking, dizziness, shortness of breath, a slightly elevated temperature, and great distress. The pains had started earlier in the day and the usual inhaler routine and breathing exercises hadn't helped.

An ambulance arrived. I explained the symptoms again and asked that as my OH had Alz Dem could they please keep any questions to him short and simple. It took a bit of explaining that there is more than one type of Dementia and that Dementia is an 'umbrella' word. It seemed to come as a bit of a surprise to them. OK - so maybe the types of Dementia aren't part of their extensive training but I've learnt from here that the various types will or can present their own indications and problems in communication and behaviour.

The questions to my OH started - long sentences in a VERY LOUD voice. He became more confused and very agitated. I had to step in to speak in a moderate voice and break the questions down into simple steps. After two or three questions I became the 'communicator' and acted as a go-between to elicit the information. Anyway - they decided he needed to go to A&E and as it was clear he needed support phoned ahead to get the OK for me to attend with him. Thank goodness for that!

Arrived at A&E and due to the current Covid situation and his COPD we were allocated a single bed assessment room. The staff were aware he had Alz but the questions directed at him started taking the same course of long and LOUD so I proceeded on the same course of moderate voice with short and simple phrases.

Now I'm certainly not knocking his actual treatment. He was seen promptly, had blood tests, urine tests (that was fun - not), chest X-ray, was hooked up like a wiring loom and generally given a good going over. The upshot was he's developed another chest infection. We have, at home, standby meds for such an event but he's displayed none of the usual symptoms or I'd have had him dosed up a few days ago. (Note to self - get thermometer and start being more aware of unexpectedly odd behaviour!)

So - after a huge dose of antibiotics he was discharged with the relevant medications and we made it home at 00.55, after having been collected by a very dear friend.

But why, why, why - why the LOUD voice? He has Alzheimer's. He's not deaf. (He is a bit, actually, but no longer used his hearing aids as they give his hearing too much stimulation to filter out what's important to take notice of.) If I'd not been permitted to attend with him I dread to think what he would have gone through as he can't remember his own medical history, let alone the date or year. Poor old stick, I wanted to climb on the trolley to give him a comfort cuddle.

Pleased to say he's much brighter today. Onwards and upwards.

Heavens above - this has turned into a right whinge fest, but I think it still emphases the need for more enlightenment around the devil that is Dementia.

 

[Weasell]

Congratulations to you!
My mother was taken way by ambulance last week (fall caused by chest Infection, no obvious symptoms to make me think ‘chest infection’)
They said I could not go ( Covid ) and I just accepted it like a lamb! It never occurred to me to say I was a carer! I now feel stupid!

I think they have all ‘ upped the volume’ due to the masks. I feel so sorry for the older people being robbed of all the information they used to gain through lip reading!

If he isn’t in tena man pants it might be an idea just to pop then on for the next week, the antibiotics had an unwanted side effect !

 

[Sarasa]

As a deaf person I can state that shouting doesn’t help you hear things better. It just makes you think people are cross with you. You need people to look at you and speak clearly and slowly, and not give up and say never mind if you don’t get it the first few times. Similar strategies to what you were using @AbbyGee. Glad your husband is home now, and I hope he starts feeling better soon.

 

[AbbyGee]

@Weasell

Don't allow yourself to feel stupid at all. In times of emergency the most basic things fly out of our heads. I almost left the house without the door key.

I think they wanted me there are they were getting no sense from him whatsoever, or no sense they could understand. He's not usually quite like this. It's made me appreciate how much I've learned, and especially from this group, on communication as the Alz progresses.

I had the benefit of being able to get his attention by familiar actions like stroking his arm or head, shoulder patting, hand-holding etc, or starting with "Listen up, lovey" - none of which they would have been able to do. I think it also helped that I could explain in terms he'd catch onto what was happening in the way of blood tests and the canula etc, making it as lighthearted as possible and used familiar phrases like 'wee' instead of 'pass urine' and 'puffy-chesty' instead of 'breathlessness'.

 

[AbbyGee]

Thanks, @Sarasa Hearing impairment must be so isolating and I do wish people would stop the shout louder trick.
My hearing isn't too brilliant in crowd situations - if the sound level reaches a certain point everything simply becomes one great mish-mash of muddled mushy nothingness. But conversely, I hear music in my head for hours, can't stand the fridge freezer hum and the old incandescent lightbulbs whining drove me potty!

 

[Sarasa]

My son is like you@abbygee. Has excellent hearing, but can’t understand anything in a noisy environment, even supermarkets are difficult. I think it’s the way his brain is wired, as he’’s severely dyslexic.