Hello.

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
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0
Hello everyone i am new to this forum and reading some of the posts i know i am not alone in what i am going through.
My mum has Alzheimers she has been diagnosed for about 4 years or so, she lives with me and i am her only carer, i love my mum to bits and don't like seeing her like this.
At night she gets up and down like a yo yo because she said she needs the toilet, when she gets up she can't find her way back to her bedroom which means i'm up and down as well. I have bought a night light which i'm going to test out tonight, but i was wondering if anyone had any ideas about signs or something that i could put on the doors upstairs, you know something like kids bedroom name plagues as i figure if they were fluorescent she might be able to find her own way back to her bedroom. I have looked for things like that on the internet but there doesn't seem to be anything like that, so any ideas would be appreciated.
 

jeany123

Registered User
Mar 24, 2012
19,034
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74
Durham
Hi Carabosse and welcome to TP what about a photo of your mum on the door so she might recognise that its her room ,

Jeany x
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
I don't know, she is in respite just now as i had that norovirus, anyway there she has her name on the door on a big piece of paper yet she still gets confused and doesn't know where to go. So i don't think that will do, also the fact its dark at home on the landing hence i thought a sign would be better if it could be lit up or something she could see if you know what i mean?
 

jeany123

Registered User
Mar 24, 2012
19,034
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74
Durham
I don't know, she is in respite just now as i had that norovirus, anyway there she has her name on the door on a big piece of paper yet she still gets confused and doesn't know where to go. So i don't think that will do, also the fact its dark at home on the landing hence i thought a sign would be better if it could be lit up or something she could see if you know what i mean?

Sorry i thought you were trying a light out, you can get packs of fluorescent stars and moons at the pound shop that you could stick round the photo
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
Whilst mum is in respite i'm going to put the light on in her room and see how bight it is as if its too bright she will be awake all the time, i can't leave the light on at the top of the stairs as a fire might start if anything happened to the light. I thought a fluorescent sign might help as i heard the social workers use something like the exit signs in buildings but i'm not sure about that?
 

jeany123

Registered User
Mar 24, 2012
19,034
0
74
Durham
Whilst mum is in respite i'm going to put the light on in her room and see how bight it is as if its too bright she will be awake all the time, i can't leave the light on at the top of the stairs as a fire might start if anything happened to the light. I thought a fluorescent sign might help as i heard the social workers use something like the exit signs in buildings but i'm not sure about that?

I leave our bathroom light on all night they are not dangerous there is no chance of them catching fire why would there be ,
I leave ours on because my husband pulls the red emergency cord thinking it is the light if the light is off,

Best wishes Jeany
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
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This might be a stupid question but do you have special a light in your bathroom or just normal ones, as it might be something i would try.
 

jeany123

Registered User
Mar 24, 2012
19,034
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74
Durham
No its just a normal energy saving one and has been on nearly every night for over 3 years ,

Jeany x
 

trisha45

Registered User
Sep 11, 2012
28
0
oldham, lancs. england.
Hello

Hi, We use signs on the doors . My daughter wrote some notices with the letters you could use flouresent pens or markers . These worked well just give a bit of time to get to recognise them . I also bought a nite light which has worked very well to.
I hope you get it sorted.Hugs to you.
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
I will have to change the light in our bathroom as its the old type, i will also try the fluorescent pens. To be honest i'll try anything!
 

chris53

Registered User
Nov 9, 2009
2,929
0
London
Hello Carabosse, a warm welcome to Talking Point, plenty of support and understanding here anytime of the day or night, hope your mum has enjoyed her respite and you feel a lot better after the dreaded norovirus:mad: I got my mum a while ago some battery candles which she has on in the hall in case she gets up, would this be a help? (they are very bright and they have them in P....land)
Hope all goes well and please do keep posting
Best wishes
Chris
 

Shash7677

Registered User
Sep 15, 2012
1,671
0
Nuneaton, warwickshire
Hi there,

Not sure how helpful this will be but one of the last things a dementia sufferer looses is their ability to recognise colour. I know it's drastic but, in mums NH all the bathrooms have red doors and all the bedrooms have different coloured doors too. Mum knows a red door is a loo a beigey brown door is her room. The purple door nest to her isn't her room.

Just a thought.

Sharon
X
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
Thanks, feel better. I never thought of those, as i said i don't know what to try?
As i mentioned in elsewhere i feel like i'm being backed into a corner to put mum in a home as she has been in and out of hospital (she has heart/ breathing problems) from time to time but when she is there her symptoms seem to disappear, i feel like they might be thinking i am to blame. As i have said to the nurses i don't care if mum needs to go to hospital if she is in pain i cannot take the risk as there have been times when i have haad the early morning calls asking me to come as she has become worse.
 

Sunbell

Registered User
Jul 29, 2010
712
0
Yorkshire, England
Hello,

If your mum wanders about at night, have you thought about having a safety gate at the top of the stairs? I don't want to alarm you in any way but we had to do this for my mum a few years ago when she stayed with us because she would lose her sense of direction especially during the night when still feeling sleepy and would wander about to the toilet wandering all over the landing until she found it!. Just a suggestion of course but could possibly remove any fear of accidentally falling down the stairs.

Hope you find a solution for your mum, it is so difficult I know. Good luck and hope your virus is getting better. :) Sunbell.
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
Its not so much wandering, its a case of her getting out of bed not knowing where the toilet is and not being able to get back to her bed, i can hear her moving about so i get up, so for the moment she hasn't been able to get anywhere near the stairs as i'm there before she has the chance to do anything that might be dangerous. I was thinking of getting the OT to get a full 'baby gate' put up, but have had so much to do over the past few weeks (exam time just now which doesn't help) i haven't gotten around to it. I will try and get it sorted in the next week or so.
 

Polly1945

Registered User
Oct 24, 2012
261
0
Hereford
Hello Caraboose

Do you think that your Mum would use a commode in her bedroom? The care home where Mum is, leaves a commode in each room - not too far to walk and much safer than negotiating the landing.

A low wattage night light along the landing could help. These are designed to be left on all night.

You need your sleep and won't be able to operate without a good night's sleep, so I hope you can get it sorted out for both of you.

Pauline
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
Do you know i have had more sensible advice on here in the past few hours than i have had from any CPN or social worker!
I don't know whether she would know its there, but its something i could discuss with her or even try and see how she gets on. I will look into a light for the landing, still got to try the one out for her room yet.
I sometimes get migraines which doesn't help.
 

Margaret W

Registered User
Apr 28, 2007
3,720
0
North Derbyshire
What about a dimmer switch for her bedroom (if the bulb will take it, some won't). Same on the landing and the toilet. Easy to fit, an electrician should charge no more than £50 for all 3.

Love

Margaret
 

Starvin

Registered User
Jan 8, 2013
170
0
N.Wales
My wife leaves the light on in the bathroom all the time and no other light apart from a night light just out side our bedroom door ... Works for me! Get a bit lost sometimes ...then see the light ..as it were :)