Am making subtle changes to the days routine etc. My partner seems calmer if I leave the radio on and music is relieving a lot of his anxiety. I have found visual stimulation by the television somehow overloads his system. Does this make sense to people. Have noticed changes and anything out of the normal seem to raise his anxiety and he needs reassurance about the simplest thing. Managed to get our wills witnessed at last its only taken 6months but now its done another positive. I must try something to be thankful about on a daily basis "Life is good and no one can take my dreams".
Brian
Music is a well-documented assistance for people with dementia. It can not only calm them but also stimulate parts of the brain, such that people have been known to sing along to known songs even if they rarely speak.
For my father, who had Alzheimer's, it was used for his enjoyment, and also to create a familiarity of daily routines. Every time I went to shower him I would pop the same cd on, and then suggest I help him to shower. I bought him cd's of music he had as records, and had loved during the 60's and 70's. He was a great whistler rather than singer, and he would whistle along with the music without skipping a beat. When his shower was all done, we would come back out to the kitchen together and dance together to the song playing at that time. It was usually Sentimental Journey since his shower took about the same time to complete. Dad has since passed, but those songs evoke very strong memories for me now. That one is particularly dear.
Keeping routines seemed to give him security and also made him less resistant, since we would simply say, "You know, we always do this at this time," and he would agree, even though he probably wasn't aware.
Mum had to stop watching the news because it distressed him so much to hear of violence or calamity. He did enjoy nature programs greatly, as long as they were cute and cuddly, not the stalk and kill variety. She also watched some quiz shows and it was a good time for me to sit and watch with Dad and engage in the questions, but I was very careful to not put him on the spot and make him feel inadequate or embarrassed. Sometimes pure conversation was difficult, but something like watching these shows or reading to him made chit chat easier.
Your attitude is great, and the best for keeping life on an even keel. Getting things such as wills ticked off the to-do list will make the future simpler and trouble-free. You sound like you're doing a wonderful job.
Stephanie
