Dear All,
sorry i haven't had time to post recently but have been so busy. I've had so much going on apart from looking after mum, but thats another story. Hope you won't mind me asking a few questions
1. How often should my mum do the MMSE test. To my knowledge ( i'm her main carer) she has only done test once in November 2003 when she was being diagnosed . They didn't tell me her results but i did manage to find out later that she scored 11. I dread to think what she'd score now as she's much much worse.
2. Mum is incontinent & will use pad's but i'm thinking of swapping to reusable one that fit inside underwear rather than disposable type . Does anyone have any pros & cons.
3. I have to wash & change mum as although she attempts to wash herself she doesn't normally get further than washing her face, or the same limb over & over , then drying without washing soap off etc. As she is also physically disabled due to arthritus & heart problems etc she has difficult standing for me to wash her down & even greater difficulty getting in & out of bath.This means she ends up leaning on me & me trying to lift her . I'm finding this very difficult & hard on my back so planning to buy a bath lift. I've checked out one that is very quiet so i don't think it will frighten her (bathmaster xtra) but again would appreciate pros & cons .
4. I now feel i'm going to need the help of outside carers soon as mum is reluctant to let anyone else wash or change her though my other sisters have tried . They are uncomfortable about doing this for her anyway & as mum refuses it means i have to be available which prevents me having respite. I'm just not sure if she'll be any better with carers than family though she might if she thinks of them as nurses.As mum has vascular dementia she is aware of what is happening to her & gets upset & embarassed & this is why my family think she might take better to 'nurses' helping her. Does anyone have any advice about introducing carers into the household as though i think she might be ok once she has got used to the idea she gets really uupset if strangers come into the house. As mum has a lot of trouble with her legs i thought about perhaps pretending they were there to check her legs, perhaps to administer magic cream (moisturiser) first few visits & then to attempt to try & help her with more personal care. What do you think? & do you think carers would go along with it?. I've got a meeting with her social worker next week regards this issue so any questions i should ask. ? Just don't know how to raise the issue of outside carers with mum as she keeps asking me not to tell anyone she's having incontinence trouble & i think she might feel i've betrayed her trust & not be as open with me.
4. last question honest, mum's feet swell so badly that she can't get her shoes on despite raising legs , water tablets etc. I've tried several styles of shoes for swollen feet , velcro straps, elasticated etc but without success . Does anyone know of any goods site for ordering shoes . I'm desperate as mum can hardly walk somedays & won't go to day centre in her slippers so forces her feet into her shoes so that they bruise. This upsets me .She has a wheelchair but is very reluctant to use it.
sorry to ask so many questions in one go but don't seem to get the time or privacy to post.
any advice would be appreciated
Take care all
Helen
l
sorry i haven't had time to post recently but have been so busy. I've had so much going on apart from looking after mum, but thats another story. Hope you won't mind me asking a few questions
1. How often should my mum do the MMSE test. To my knowledge ( i'm her main carer) she has only done test once in November 2003 when she was being diagnosed . They didn't tell me her results but i did manage to find out later that she scored 11. I dread to think what she'd score now as she's much much worse.
2. Mum is incontinent & will use pad's but i'm thinking of swapping to reusable one that fit inside underwear rather than disposable type . Does anyone have any pros & cons.
3. I have to wash & change mum as although she attempts to wash herself she doesn't normally get further than washing her face, or the same limb over & over , then drying without washing soap off etc. As she is also physically disabled due to arthritus & heart problems etc she has difficult standing for me to wash her down & even greater difficulty getting in & out of bath.This means she ends up leaning on me & me trying to lift her . I'm finding this very difficult & hard on my back so planning to buy a bath lift. I've checked out one that is very quiet so i don't think it will frighten her (bathmaster xtra) but again would appreciate pros & cons .
4. I now feel i'm going to need the help of outside carers soon as mum is reluctant to let anyone else wash or change her though my other sisters have tried . They are uncomfortable about doing this for her anyway & as mum refuses it means i have to be available which prevents me having respite. I'm just not sure if she'll be any better with carers than family though she might if she thinks of them as nurses.As mum has vascular dementia she is aware of what is happening to her & gets upset & embarassed & this is why my family think she might take better to 'nurses' helping her. Does anyone have any advice about introducing carers into the household as though i think she might be ok once she has got used to the idea she gets really uupset if strangers come into the house. As mum has a lot of trouble with her legs i thought about perhaps pretending they were there to check her legs, perhaps to administer magic cream (moisturiser) first few visits & then to attempt to try & help her with more personal care. What do you think? & do you think carers would go along with it?. I've got a meeting with her social worker next week regards this issue so any questions i should ask. ? Just don't know how to raise the issue of outside carers with mum as she keeps asking me not to tell anyone she's having incontinence trouble & i think she might feel i've betrayed her trust & not be as open with me.
4. last question honest, mum's feet swell so badly that she can't get her shoes on despite raising legs , water tablets etc. I've tried several styles of shoes for swollen feet , velcro straps, elasticated etc but without success . Does anyone know of any goods site for ordering shoes . I'm desperate as mum can hardly walk somedays & won't go to day centre in her slippers so forces her feet into her shoes so that they bruise. This upsets me .She has a wheelchair but is very reluctant to use it.
sorry to ask so many questions in one go but don't seem to get the time or privacy to post.
any advice would be appreciated
Take care all
Helen
l