A positive story, i think, interested if anyone has found the same.
Mummy lives permanently in a care home and has mid to late stage mixed dementia. She has to be hoisted as she can't walk or transfer. On Donepezil and Mermantine among other things. She gets very ASBO about personal care, so we've been looking at various ways to combat this, including pain relief, drugs etc
I think some of the agitation is because she is bored. They have activities, but she was a clever, active woman, very determined. I realised, when I took her to hospital once, that she still had limited ability to read - signs and simple sentences in large print, I was amazed as I assumed she had lost this skill.
We are a very "booky" family, so I am trying taking in "simple" books, with short passages of text (poems, books for children) that we read together. Some days this works better than others, but a book on bird identification was a bit hit. I worried that she would realise they were children's books, and be upset, but this hasn't been an issue so far.
I am also trying books with ryhme or repetition - like nonsense verse or Dr Seuss as she likes the sound of words. Some days are better than others but we will see how we go. Her psychiatrist also recommended comedy DVDs of the "slapstick" type - easy to follow and Mummy finds this kind of physical comedy - people tripping over etc very funny (sometimes rather unfortunately).
I will try to update as to how this works out.....
Mummy lives permanently in a care home and has mid to late stage mixed dementia. She has to be hoisted as she can't walk or transfer. On Donepezil and Mermantine among other things. She gets very ASBO about personal care, so we've been looking at various ways to combat this, including pain relief, drugs etc
I think some of the agitation is because she is bored. They have activities, but she was a clever, active woman, very determined. I realised, when I took her to hospital once, that she still had limited ability to read - signs and simple sentences in large print, I was amazed as I assumed she had lost this skill.
We are a very "booky" family, so I am trying taking in "simple" books, with short passages of text (poems, books for children) that we read together. Some days this works better than others, but a book on bird identification was a bit hit. I worried that she would realise they were children's books, and be upset, but this hasn't been an issue so far.
I am also trying books with ryhme or repetition - like nonsense verse or Dr Seuss as she likes the sound of words. Some days are better than others but we will see how we go. Her psychiatrist also recommended comedy DVDs of the "slapstick" type - easy to follow and Mummy finds this kind of physical comedy - people tripping over etc very funny (sometimes rather unfortunately).
I will try to update as to how this works out.....