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BazCare

Registered User
Jul 2, 2006
33
0
Surrey
Good morning site, my name is Peter and this is my first time here so i'm still feeling my way around. My father was diagnosed last year as having vascular dementia as well as being in the onset stage of alzhiemers, since then his short term memory problems have just slowly worse although on some days he is better than others. I'm hoping to pick up some tried and tested coping ideas here.
 

Blue_Gremlin

Registered User
Mar 15, 2006
89
0
45
Morecambe, UK
Welcome

Hi Peter,

I have only been registered on this site for a couple of months but I have found it invaluable in coping with my grandmother-in-law (Jean) who has vascular dementia.

I hope everyone on here can help you like they have helped me, and of course I will do my best too :)

Take care

Blue_Gremlin
 

BazCare

Registered User
Jul 2, 2006
33
0
Surrey
thanks

Hello blue gremlin and thanks for your responce, 1 important piece of information that i would help on is this, my dad is 87 and is having increasing problems with using his TV, with the modern day wonders of 100's of channels, his cable suppier is unable to understand that when he want to watch BBC 1, he is unable to punch in 101 on his remote control, for my dad BBC 1 should be on number 1, likewise ITV should be on button 3 and so on. This i'm sure must be a common problem, how have others got around it?, and is this the right place to be asking the question?
 

Helena

Registered User
May 24, 2006
715
0
My Mother cant even work the remote control at all .......she keeps saying the TV is faulty .....strange she bought it 15 yrs ago and had no problem till last 2 yrs

Theres always something wrong with phone ...........not that she is so deaf and too stubborn to wear a hearing aid ........no no no


Same goes for just about everything ......the garage had put somethying in her car ......she called 5 different mechanics to fix it .....it was the fact she did not turn ignition switch on !!!! that was last year and it was May this year before DVLA rescinded her licence


The modern world simply is not designed for Dementia sufferers and certainly not for them to live alone
we need a much better attitude and systems of living in the UK

If we had the USA principal where its generally accepted you move to a retirement village that includes several different settings from independant living right through to full NH and you move through the stages as your situation requires
 

Tender Face

Account Closed
Mar 14, 2006
5,379
0
NW England
Hello, Peter. Welcome. Does your dad really need all that choice of channels? I seem to have spent the last few months with my mum following a 'de-clutter and simplify' philosophy ...it might seem like denying choice to some degree, but if they can't make that choice independently perhaps it is kinder to limit it to what they can manage... we had thought of buying mum a 'Sky package' last year given TV was her main 'company' - with hindsight, thank goodness we didn't..... we are glad of the days she doesn't insist the 'telly is broken' or 'I can only get one channel' (because she can't always manage the remote for her 'bog-standard' terrestrial TV).

Are there specific channels only available through cable that your dad really likes to watch? Could favourite channels be pre-programmed 1-10 like numbers on some telephones? (Sorry, not very good on the 'technical' - have to ask my 11-year-old to record anything I might want to watch:eek: )

Love, Karen (TF)
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
I can relate to this - I purchased a very expensive "talking" digital radio for my Mother (press a button and it tells you what it's for) but can she work it? No. In fact, most of the time she doesn't remember that it is a radio, or alternatively, that listening to the radio is an option. The problem with adapative technology for dementia sufferers is that they need to learn to use it, or remember that it's there, and thats almost impossible for them to do.

Helena - I don't know - I live in the US and I don't think the system is any better here (although I'm sure there are exceptions). There are exceptions in the UK, also. My DM is the owner/occupier of an extra care suite (i.e. a 1 bedroom flat) attached to a nursing home. In this suite she can different levels of care depending on her needs (for a price, of course). When the time comes, she'll move into the nursing home, so there will be continuity of care.

Jennifer
 

BazCare

Registered User
Jul 2, 2006
33
0
Surrey
Tv

Thankyou both Karen and Jennifer for your responces, using the 'favourites' is a route we have already tried but without any success, the problem is that dad sometimes loses the ability to understand even basic logic, for example, if he wakes up at 2am and its dark outside, he is unable to relate the darkness to the fact that it is still night, so for him to be able to access the favourites on his remote is basically a non starter. For him, logic says that BBC 1 is on channel 1 on the remote, also, at 87 he can’t even punch in 101 fast enough for the set top box to respond. Modern day technology is a wonderful thing, we can put a man on the moon, but we can’t view ITV on channel 3. Does he need 100 channels? no he doesn’t but try telling that to his service provider.
 

Helena

Registered User
May 24, 2006
715
0
"wakes up in the dark he cant relate it to being nightime"

Oh thats familiar My Mother phoned my sister at 10.30 pm one evening

" its dark here is it dark where you are ?"
I have phoned the people to fix it but they cant come till next week

"If its as dark as this tommorow the gardening girl wont be able to come "


She bought a new clock but took it back to the shop umpteen times because "she wanted a noise in the night"


and this is the person who claims they do everything perfectly and have done all their life and its definitely everyone else who is mad
 

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