Shiney things and other stuff

tubbie

Registered User
Nov 1, 2006
16
0
Cambridge
Hello All

Dad is going in to a residential care home on Saturday. He was admitted to hospital two weeks ago feeling physically unwell and whilst he was in there the big guns decided it was not safe for him to go back to his flat. We have very mixed emotions, on the one hand we had already decided that we could not carry on caring for him ourselves but now that it's actually happening my sister and I both feel very anxious. In some respects we feel that this is happening too soon, but short of continuing to drive ourselves in to the ground what other choices are there? I am now praying to every God there is that he likes it at the home and that this will mark a new, less stressful, chapter for us. He will be in the dementia wing, obviously, but at the 'pleasantly confused' end. We are hoping he will be allowed to have his meals in the main dining hall with the non-dementia bods.

I have noticed in recent weeks, what with all the Christmas decorations that there are about at the moment, that Dad has taken a real liking to things that shine or sparkle - like fairy lights, tinsel, street lamps etc. I'm not sure if anyone else has come across this but if so, can anybody suggest something that I could get him for his new room that would appeal to him?

tubbie :eek:
 

Jool

Registered User
Apr 21, 2006
13
0
Kendal, Cumbria
A room has just become available for my Dad in a care home from the beginning of January. It seems to have happened very suddenly, but my 80 year old mother after a few years caring, can no longer cope. You can only do so much and you may well have your own family to care about. We are hoping he will settle - initially it is for a trial period of one month.

My Dad is not so much fascinated by shiney things, but by pictures of views and clouds in the sky , he sees all sorts of shapes and faces in them that we cannot see. He seems to enjoy this so we just let him be.

Hope the care home works out

Jool
 

jan.

Registered User
Apr 19, 2006
405
0
Cheshire, UK.
Hi Tubbie,

There never seems to be a "right time" for someone we love to be admitted to long term care, but i`m sure your dad will be adequately cared for in his "new home". Your love for your dad will see you through this emotional, settling in period, but i`m sure your dad will soon settle into the routine of things. When this happens you`ll all feel much more at ease and a deep feeling of relief within yourselves, so as when you go to visit him, you`ll have precious "quality time" without the stress.

I think a nice pressie for your dad would something like a silvery touch lamp, or a nice foil picture for his wall or even a silver/gold throw for his bed?

Good luck, and please keep us informed of how things progress.

Jan.:)
 

ethna

Registered User
Dec 10, 2006
3
0
Hi Tubbie

Re: Shiny things and other stuff, my Mum is also fascinated with all things shiny - be they hair baubles, earrings, tins of anything, boxes of tissues and especially Christmas decorations.
This would also reflect in her dress style too - luminous yellow / green jumpers with
brightly checked jackets and striped trousers or checked skirts.
She places these shiny trinkets all over the house and I know the Christmas decorations are there to stay.
When I have her out shopping, these colours attract her like a magnet.
After all this, I can only suggest something like a fancy table lamp to enhance your Dad's room. Hope it all works out in the home for both youself, your sister and your Dad.

Bye for now


Ethna
 

Áine

Registered User
Feb 22, 2006
994
0
sort of north east ish
how about the kind of hanging/mobile sort of things ..... not sure what the word is .... like you can get for over a baby's cot for them to watch ........ but a more adult sort of version - shiny metal or glass. or what about the stained glass things you can get to stick on windows that catch the sunlight as it comes in?
 

Lucille

Registered User
Sep 10, 2005
542
0
Hi Tubbie

Sorry to hear about your dad. I hope he settles in, OK and that you and your sister are less stressed. Enabling him to eat meals with 'non-dementia bods' sounds like a good idea, I hope you're successful in this.

In terms of glittery things, what about one of those lava lamps? I think they do different types now, (with glittery bits in) not just the ones that look like globules of blood!!:eek: Providing it's safe, it might be a useful extra bit of light ... just a thought:)
 

Michael E

Registered User
Apr 14, 2005
619
0
Ronda Spain
Monique is into shiny things as well - she has a sweater - big - loose fit sewn in gold and silver threads - can't get her out of it... Could a glitter sweater be an idea?

Michael
 

Nell

Registered User
Aug 9, 2005
1,170
0
72
Australia
Have you considered a (small) mirror ball - like they used to have at Discos?? You can pick these up quite cheaply and they are lovely if hung where they can catch the sunlight. Nell
 

Charlyparly

Registered User
Nov 26, 2006
217
0
Lancashire
Hi Tubbie,

As Jan rightly said, there is a never a "right time" for someone you love to go into long term care, but the fact that you are aware that you can do nothing now, other than run yourselves into the ground, gives an indication of the level and type of care which your Dad will need.

If you really feel in your heart that this is the right thing to do - then it is.

With regards to the shiny stuff - I think the colour changing LED lamps would be perfect.

Lava lamps & glitter lamps are of course just as nice, but the problem with these is that the home would be unlikely to allow one to be kept in his room (not because they are meanies - just because of health and safety regulations etc etc) but I see no reason why they would not allow you to have one of these.

They are nearly always made of plastic so won't smash should they fall off, they run on batteries, so there are no wires to worry about tripping over and they are incredibly relaxing (I have two of these in my bedroom and love them - they're great)

Let me know how you are getting on.

Hope everything is going well.

Kind regards,

Charlyparly xx :)
 

mocha

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
176
0
89
Lancs, England
Clouds and Things

Ron had this thing about making faces and animals out of clouds and passed it on to our young granddaughter also a love of classical music because we used to play it in the car. Songs without words she called it.
As we live about 15 mls from Manchester airport we get a lot of aircradft going over low and he began to get an obsession with these and vapour trails.
He has been in the Nursing Home for 4 weeks now and I've found that a lot of the residents are what you'd call 'light fingered' I'm surprised he has managed to keep 2 Santa Candles but the staff usually get things back to their rightful owners.
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
I do not know if they let you, but one of my daughters has Christmas tress lights that false of on , depending on what setting you put them on in her bedroom all year around she has clip them running along one wall to the next.

From Home base she also had a set that was white tiny that she gathered together and had them clip on to the ceiling , it cost to much to do the whole celing so she took it down , but it look Amazing



Chimes I think they are called Aine , you can get them from any new age shop , if thats what they still call them now days